The Way it Should Be
by sirena1
Summary: Bella fled Forks with Edward and the Cullens. The day she was to be turned, they disappeared. Now, the Volturi have decided it is time to turn her. With no idea where the Cullens are, Bella goes to the only place she thinks she might be safe. Forks.
1. Back to the Beginning

Author's Note: Oh my it has been a long time since I've sat down to work on a fanfic. Three years, I do believe. I've been concentrating on school, and on several original works. That having been said, after having watched New Moon, I found myself wishing that Bella ended up with Jacob, and since I've been voraciously reading every J/B fanfic out there, I decided it might be time to write my own, and write their ending the way I think it should have happened. I anticipate this being long, and I will try to update regularly, though I am in law school, so that has to come first.

Summary: Picks up at the last scene in New Moon, where Bella is standing between Jacob and Edward. She leaves with Edward, and they leave Forks. Ten years later, she's back, still human, and needs Jacob's help.

Rating: M. If you're familiar with my work, it's no different than anything else I've written.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this work of fiction. They belong to Stephanie Meyer. I'm merely playing with them for a little while.

****

Bella Swan turned down the driveway so familiar to her that she could have navigated it with her eyes closed. At the end of the driveway, she could see the small house where she had spent so much time during her youth. Sighing, she eased her truck into park, and slid out, her boots crunching on the loose gravel, her jacket drawn up around her to keep out the brisk November wind.

She stood for a moment, surveying the land she had not stepped foot on in over a decade, smiling softly when she realized nothing had changed. It was exactly as she remembered it. It was nice to realize that something had remained the same, when everything else in her life had changed.

Squaring her shoulders resolutely, she strode purposefully up the walk, and knocked briskly on the front door. Several moments later, Billy Black opened the door, expertly navigating his wheelchair around the door and side table. He stared up at her, the look on his face one of disbelief and shock. If the situation hadn't been so grim, Bella would have laughed. But as it was, she didn't think she should risk insulting him.

"Hi Billy."

"Bella. You're-" he trailed off, not knowing how to say exactly what it was that he wanted to ask.

"Human? Yeah. I'm human. I need to talk to Jacob. Is he here?"

"He's at Sam's. Pack meeting. Bella, what are you doing here? Does Charlie know you're back?"

"Not yet. This was my first stop. I should have known he'd be off with the pack. I need his help."

"With what?"

Bella considered telling him, then shook her head regretfully. "This is something the pack needs to hear first." She fished her keys back out of her pocket. "I'm going to head over there." She paused at the door to the truck, smiled at Billy. "It's good to see you, Billy. I missed you."

Billy offered a tight smile. "Welcome back, Bella. I'm glad to see you're still breathing."

The drive to Sam Uley's was short and uneventful, giving her just enough time for butterflies to begin swirling in her stomach again. Fortunately, she got distracted from her nerves when she noticed that Sam's place had not stayed the same.

The house had been added onto, and was painted a bright white. There was a large deck overlooking the back yard, and a barn like structure had been erected near the forest edge. Following her gut, she headed for the new building, figuring Emily had finally gotten tired of a pack of werewolves tracking all over her house and made them find someplace new.

She heard voices as she got closer to the structure, all of them familiar. Sam, Embry, Quil, Jared, Seth, Leah, Collin, Brady, and _Jacob. _She took a deep breath, wiped her sweaty palms on her jean clad thighs, and pushed the door open.

Instantly, the talking ceased as everyone turned to see who had entered. When they realized who it was, there was an audible gasp and Jacob surged to his feet, shock all over his face. Bella shrugged nervously, offered a sheepish smile.

"Hi, Jake."

Jacob strode to her, gripped her chin in his hand and examined her neck for bites, then glanced at her eyes to check their color. "You're human."

"Have been all my life." She couldn't help the sarcasm that slipped into her voice. She was getting tired of her mortality being the only thing people noticed about her.

He abruptly released her, went back to his seat. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help."

"Get the leeches to help you. You chose them, Bella. We can't help you anymore."

"They're gone. I have no idea where they are. And the Volturi are after me."

"The what?"

"Volturi. It's like the vampiric high counsel."

Sam held up a hand when Jacob would have dismissed her once again. "Jake. Our job is to protect people from vampires. Like it or not, Bella is still human, and that means that we have to help her. Why don't you tell us what's going on, Bella?"

Grateful for Sam's interference, Bella nodded, cleared her throat nervously. "Before I left, when I went to Italy to save Edward, the Volturi met me. They ordered that I be changed. I don't know why, but vampires can't see into my mind. They thought that I would develop some powers as a vampire that they wanted in the bloodline. Alice promised them that she would change me herself.

"I didn't know how much time they were going to give us, and I pushed Edward to change me. More than anything, I wanted to be one of them. But after we left, they promised me that they would turn me on my twenty first birthday. Alice could see the Volturi, and she didn't see them getting impatient until then. After that day in the woods, Jake, we left Forks. They took me to the Denali, where there are other vegetarians, and we stayed there for a few months. After that, we moved around a lot. Then, I turned twenty one. I woke up the morning of my birthday, and they were gone. All of them. Just gone. Their phones were turned off, their email accounts shut down. I have no idea where they went, and I haven't seen them since.

"For a long time, I was heartbroken. I could barely survive. I stayed in the house we'd been living in for over six months. But slowly, I put myself back together, and eventually, I realized that they were never coming back. I left Alaska, went to Phoenix, got a job, an apartment, started building a life. And then, six months ago, I got a letter. From Alice.

"She told me that two days before I was to be turned, she had a vision, about my future. She saw the Volturi killing me if I was a vampire, because I would be more powerful than them. So before I could develop all my strengths, they saw to it that I was killed. Rosalie and Esme would have died trying to protect me. So to save my life, they abandoned me. The problem is, the Volturi cannot see the future as Alice can. They only know what they saw in Italy ten years ago. They want me changed, and they're coming after me. Alice's letter told me that the Cullens can't help me, that their presence will only help the Volturi find me. But she wanted me to know they were coming, that I needed to run, and that Carlisle was going to Italy to try and reason with them, but she didn't see it succeeding.

"I ignored it. It had been almost ten years! Why would they come after me now? But three weeks ago, I went to work, and found everyone dead. I'd been scheduled for the night shift, but at the last minute, I'd traded with another girl there so that she could have the weekend off. I know what a vampire bite looks like. By the time I got to my apartment, it had been trashed. So I threw as much stuff in my truck as I could, and I headed for here. I knew the only ones who could stand a chance against the Volturi were you."

Jacob finally lifted his head to meet her gaze, and his eyes held more hurt and anger than she'd known could live inside one man. "Seven years, and you never once thought to let us know you weren't a vampire?"

"I thought you'd have known. I stayed in touch with Charlie, even visited a few times. He came to see me. I didn't imagine he wouldn't have told your Dad."

"In case you didn't notice, we weren't on the best terms when you left."

Bella closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. "And I'm sorry for it. But I'm here now."

Sam held up a hand before Jacob could say anything else. "Jacob, be logical for a moment. The Volturi is obviously well acquainted with the Cullens. If I were them, I would be retracing every place the Cullens have lived looking for Bella. Eventually, that will bring them to Forks. Like it or not, odds are we would have to deal with them anyway. And we all know that vampire activity around here has started up again. It's why we're all phasing again."

Curiosity got the best of her, and Bella couldn't stop the question that slipped past her lips. "You stopped phasing?"

"That's what happens when there are no bloodsuckers around. We only phase when we're needed. Once the activity was gone, there was no need for the wolves, and we stopped being able to phase. A few months ago, we started again."

The conversation was interrupted as Emily pushed through the door, the hand of a small girl clutched in one hand, her stomach bulging with pregnancy. "Guys, dinner!" she stopped in her tracks when she saw Bella, and then her face broke out into a wide smile as she rushed forward to offer a warm hug. "Bella! You're home!"

Grateful that anyone was glad to see her, Bella hugged Emily tightly, jumped when she felt the baby kick through Emily's belly. "It's good to see you, Emily."

"Of course you'll stay for dinner, and then the bonfire down at the beach tonight. I won't take no for an answer. Does your Dad know you're back yet?"

"Not yet. I came here first."

"Well he'll be at the bonfire. What a nice surprise this will be for Charlie." She slipped an arm around Bella's shoulders, gently but firmly leading her to the house. "Come on inside everyone. Maggie and I have made plenty of food for everyone." She squeezed Bella again. "I'm so glad you're home. Vampires, I assume?"

"Unfortunately."

"I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you supposed to be one?"

Bella shook her head. "Just a childish dream. A lot has changed in ten years."

"You'll tell me everything. But not now. Now, we eat."

It was only then that Bella realized she hadn't eaten since the day before. She laid a hand on her stomach, offering the first genuine smile she'd managed since arriving in La Push. "Food sounds great."

****

Six hours later, Bella found herself on the beach, another plate of food in her hand. She'd spent the last two hours catching up with Charlie, but he'd headed home early to sleep for his fishing trip with Billy the next morning. Emily had refused to let Bella leave with her father, claiming there was too much girl talk to be had. Then, surreptitiously, Emily had soon after disappeared to put her daughter to bed.

So much had changed since she'd left. Emily and Sam had Maggie, and their second on the way. Jared and Kim had twin boys barely out of diapers. Leah and Embry had, amazingly enough, imprinted on one another and had one daughter, six year old Alicia. Paul and Rachel were working on their third, hoping for a girl in addition to their two boys, and Quil was still devoted to now thirteen year old Claire. It was obvious that his feelings were still brotherly due to her age, but Bella noticed that Claire was starting to look at him with the interest of a girl instead of a sister.

As far as she could tell, Jacob was single. At least, there were no girls hanging on him. Seth still hadn't imprinted, and there were murmurs throughout the pack that he probably wouldn't, having reached twenty five without having done so. The younger wolves, Collin and Brady, both claimed girlfriends back at college, and were obviously not happy about beginning to phase again.

She smiled as she walked down the beach, drawing her jacket tighter around her as the air chilled the further away from the fire she got. Spotting a very familiar form a hundred yards down the shore, she picked up her pace, depositing her plate in a trashcan on the way.

"Jake?"

Jacob turned at her voice, and she was shocked again at just how much he had grown up. His hair was black as night, and cut short, showing off his incredible bone structure. And for once, he was actually wearing clothes, a midnight blue button down, neat jeans, and boots. She actually thought he'd shrunk a couple inches since she'd last seen him, as her head came nearly to his chin. As if he could read her mind, he chuckled.

"You're taller, you know."

"Last minute growth spurt. I was just thinking that you were shorter."

"Still six five, Bella. It's one of the few things that's stayed the same since you left."

"I'm sorry."

Jacob sighed, finally turned to look at her. "There are some things sorry just doesn't fix."

"I know I hurt you."

"You destroyed me. But it was a long time ago, and I've gotten over it. I'm not sixteen anymore. I grew up. I moved on."

"But you're still mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you. But you can't expect to come back here after a decade, after the way things were when you left, and have everyone pick up right where we left off. We thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm not. I'm a walking, talking, breathing, human being, Jacob Black, and it should mean something that when I needed help, I didn't even try to find the Cullens, that I came straight to you!"

Surprised by the anger she hadn't realized she was feeling, Bella clapped a hand over her mouth, instantly recalcitrant. But Jacob didn't yell at her. In fact, he barely seemed to acknowledge that he had heard her. He started walking back toward the bonfire, stopping once and nodding at her to walk with him. Taking that as progress, she hurried to catch up to him.

"And when this is over, then what? Back to Phoenix?"

"I don't know. I hadn't thought that far ahead. At this point, that's assuming I survive this."

Jacob laughed ruefully. "At least that's an honest answer. Where are you staying?"

"With Charlie, I assume."

"I'll talk to the pack, get a patrol schedule set up. That way you won't be left alone, even when you're there. We'll start training for the battle, and we're going to need you to tell us everything you need about the Volturi. The more information we have, the more effective we can be in the fight. Do the Cullens know how to get ahold of you?"

"Alice will know where I am. If there's news, she'll get it to me."

"I don't want them showing up here, Bella."

"They won't. They left me, Jake. Seven years ago. I don't even think I want to see them. They broke my heart."

"Seems like it was going around." He sighed, drew to a stop. "I don't like this. I didn't think I'd ever have to look at you again."

Bella reached out, took his hand in hers. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Jake. I know I made mistakes, bad ones, and I know I could probably apologize for the rest of my life and it wouldn't make up for what I put you through. Just know that I'm here, and I missed you. I really missed you. And I'm sorry. You were my best friend, and I broke your heart. But I've grown up. I'm a different person now."

Jacob pulled his hand free. "I've grown up too, Bella. And you're not the only one who is different." He started to walk away, then turned for a brief moment. "But I did miss you too."

****

So, what did you think? Review and tell me!


	2. Take a Flying Leap

It had been a week. Seven full days and Bella had not heard a word from any of the pack members. She'd been reduced to cleaning Charlie's house, cooking meals that were easily reheatable should she not be there for dinner, and going through her old room.

When she had left with the Cullens, she hadn't taken much. Alice had loved to shop, and she'd never needed to get anything while she was with them. That meant that the vast majority of the clothes that she had owned at age eighteen, were still in her drawers and hanging in her closet.

Unfortunately, not one single thing would still fit her. Almost depressed, she held up a pair of jeans she'd worn in high school and shook her head. She wouldn't even be able to get a leg into them, let alone get them zipped.

Bella had spent her adolescence skinny and underdeveloped. However, in the decade since she'd departed Forks, she'd grown into a woman. She'd grown another three inches, filled out two cup sizes, and discovered that she did, indeed, have hips. As she'd aged, she'd also become less clumsy, and while she doubted that she would ever be graceful, at least she didn't trip over her own feet anymore. The result was that she was a lot more comfortable in her skin than she could ever remember being. She didn't think she was beautiful by any stretch of the word, but it was nice to look like a woman instead of a twelve year old boy.

Sighing, she did the only rational thing with all the clothes in her drawers. She bagged them up and dragged them downstairs to take to Goodwill and donate. And if she squirreled away a couple of shirts she recognized as having belonged to Edward or Jacob, well, no one would know that but her.

Satisfied that she had done something productive, she grabbed her purse, fishing out her keys with one hand and hopping on one foot to pull on her shoes with the other. She'd gotten all but the last bag loaded into the bed of her truck when an unfamiliar motorcycle pulled up to the curb.

Curious, she hefted the last bag and heaved it into the truck, placing her hands on her hips as she turned to face the bike. As soon as its rider removed the helmet, she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. _Jacob._

"Long time no see. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten I was back in town."

Jacob looped the helmet over the handlebars, strode across the yard, his long legs eating up the distance. "It's impossible to forget that you're back. It's all anyone's been able to talk about."

"At least I livened things up." She leaned against the truck, crossed her legs at the ankle. "So, what brings you here?"

"I need you to come to La Push this afternoon. We need to know about these vampires."

"And you had to come here personally to tell me this? There are these nifty new contraptions called telephones, Jake. They save you from making useless trips."

"Had to come into town anyway. What are you doing?"

"Needed room for my stuff in my room, so the old stuff has to go. None of it fits anymore anyway."

Jacob looked her over quickly, nodded thoughtfully. "No, I don't imagine it would. You don't look like a prepubescent boy anymore."

Bella glared up at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Thanks for noticing. I don't seem to recall you having any problem with the way I looked back then."

"That was because I was still a teenager. My tastes range to women as opposed to girls now." He sighed, kicked at the grass with the toe of one boot. "God this is awkward."

"Did you think it wouldn't be?"

"I spent years wishing you would come back, dreaming about it. I used to think that you'd realize you'd made a mistake and come running back here, running back to me. But I got over it, Bella. And eventually, you became just a memory. It was like getting hit in the head with a brick when you walked into the hall."

"I'm trying to make this as easy on you as I can. You made it pretty clear that you don't want me around. So I'll stay away from La Push, I'll stay away from you as much as I can. Not because I want to, but because I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have. I'm an adult now, Jake. I stopped using people a long time ago."

"I've spent the last week thinking. The guys are going crazy. It's like ten years ago all over again. Every time we phase, the only thing on my mind, is you. And I came to some realizations since you came back."

"Care to share?"

"That it wasn't completely your fault. I knew you weren't over the lee-Edward, and I pushed you anyway. Instead of being your friend, and supporting you, I became determined to make you mine. And yeah, it about killed me when you left, but I know now that the way I acted that last day probably didn't make you very willing to give me a chance. I was still a kid, but I was so in love with you it was the only thing I could think about. It consumed me, Bella."

"And I used you to try to get over him. Neither of us was right. We both made mistakes. But you were my best friend, and I did love you. I always have. Just not the way you wanted me to. But I'm willing to put it all in the past and start over if you are."

"I don't know if it's going to be that easy, but I'm willing to try." He laughed nervously. "So how do we start this 'starting over' thing, anyway?"

"How about a hug?" Bella's eyes were hopeful, and she smiled when he spread his arms, eagerly stepping into them, sighing in pleasure when they closed around her.

She breathed in the familiar scent of Jacob, nestled her head against his chest, and wrapped her arms around him. His heat was almost overwhelming, but in a good way. She closed her eyes when she felt his cheek against the top of her head, the stepped back before the hug went on long enough to get awkward. To break the slight tension, she dangled her keys in front of him.

"I know you're dying to drive it."

Jacob looked at his bike, then snatched the keys from her hand. "I guess I can bring you back after the meeting tonight and pick up my ride. Besides, there's something you should know before we get further into this whole thing."

****

Bella's eyebrows knit in confusion when Jacob took her to Sue Clearwater's house rather than to his or Sam's. He parked the truck, and got out, waiting until she had done the same before starting toward the house. Before he knocked on the door, he touched her arm to get her attention.

"I told you things had changed. This is one of those things."

Before Bella could respond, the door opened, and Sue was smiling out at them. "Jacob, come on in. I'd heard you were back, Bella. It's nice to see you."

Bella made appropriate noises at the older woman, her eyes intently watching Jacob. He bent to hug Sue, kissing her on the cheek as he did so. "Is she asleep?"

"Been down for almost two hours. Should be up any second now."

Jacob glanced at Bella. "Come on back. There's someone I want you to meet."

Confused, Bella followed Jacob to the back bedroom, where a crib had been set up. She watched, not knowing what to say as Jacob bent and lifted a little girl from the crib, settling her against his chest, her little arms winding around his neck.

"Bella, I would like for you to meet Mackenzie. My daughter."

In that instant, it was as if the whole world upended. Bella blinked rapidly, trying to take in what Jacob had just told her. A daughter. Jacob had a child. He was a father. Which meant there had to be a mother. Jacob wasn't single. He really had moved on. Moved on more than she had.

"She's-she's beautiful, Jake."

That was nothing but the truth. Mackenzie was dainty, with her father's pitch black hair and sparkling chocolate eyes. Her mouth was perfect, her cheeks flushed from sleep, and there was a slight dimple in her chin that would have everyone oohhing.

"Thanks. We're pretty fond of her around here."

"How old is she?"

"She'll be one next week."

"Her mother?"

Jacob's eyes darkened briefly. "Dead. Megan died just a few weeks after Mackenzie was born."

"I'm sorry. You must have been heartbroken."

"The situation was complicated." He looked at the baby, saw that she'd fallen back asleep against his chest. "We were together very briefly when I was in Seattle for a trip with the boys. Three months later she shows up on the reservation announcing that she's pregnant. When Kenzie was born, I had a DNA test done, and she's mine. Megan wanted money, and a lot of it, or she'd take the baby away. I took her to court, and got joint custody. One weekend when I had her, Megan overdosed. I found her when I was taking Kenzie back."

Bella's eyes became damp at the thought, and before she could stop herself, she'd gone to Jacob and slipped her arms around him, offering him what little comfort she could. "That's horrible."

"I wouldn't change it for anything. I never thought I wanted kids. But the first time I held her, the first time I saw her, I loved her. I would do anything for her."

"Was her mother-was she your imprint?"

Jacob laughed, stooped to pick up a car seat and the diaper bag. "God no. She was a girl I met at a bar and spent a weekend with. I never expected to see her again after I left Seattle. I never had any intention of being with her, didn't want to be. But regardless of all of that, we made a life together."

Sue appeared in the door, drying her hands with a kitchen towel. "You're taking her now, then? I thought I was bringing her to your house tonight after the meeting?"

"I'll go ahead and take her. We're in Bella's truck, and it has a backseat. Unless you mind, Bella?"

Bella was shaking her head before he even finished the question. "Of course not."

"Dad'll watch her while I go get the bike tonight. I've missed her these past few days. Can't have a baby at the garage."

"That's the problem with being a working, single parent. Go on then, if I'm not gonna have a baby here all day, I'll get my cleaning done."

Bella was silent until they were back in the truck, Mackenzie content in her car seat, playing happily with a plastic teething ring. Jacob slid behind the wheel, looked at her, questions in his eyes. When she didn't offer any explanation, he sighed.

"Want to tell me what's bothering you?"

She shook her head, not knowing the right thing to say. "I just never pictured you as a Dad."

"I told you things had changed. We all grew up, got married, started having kids. Life went on after you left, Bella. Even mine."

"That wasn't what I meant. All the time we spent together, you never talked about wanting a family. You hated being a wolf so much, I guess I just assumed that you wouldn't want to risk passing on the trait."

"Hopefully I'll never have to find out if she has the gene. We only phase if there's a need, and even then, we stop as soon as the threat is gone. That's why we all stopped phasing after the Cullens left. There were a few stragglers that came through, that redheaded bitch, Victoria, but it all quieted down inside a year, and we stopped not long after that. Until nine months ago, I hadn't phased in eight years."

"Isn't it unusual for you to start phasing again?"

"There's still so much about it that we don't know. If I had to try and explain it, I would guess it's because the next generation isn't old enough to phase yet. None of the kids are even teenagers, yet. And because we aren't old yet, Sam and Leah are the oldest, and they're only thirty two, we were the ones who got called to start phasing again. I didn't realize until we started again how much I had missed it."

"Did everyone imprint but you?"

Caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject, Jacob glanced at her curiously. "What brought that on?"

"I was just thinking about everyone else being matched, and what you said about everyone growing up, and it occurred to me that you're the only one, other than the young ones."

"Other than Collin and Brady and Seth, yeah, I'm the only one. But Seth is only a little younger than me, and no one thinks he's going to. I think I was just so hung up on you that I wouldn't have even noticed if my imprint was doing cartwheels naked in the middle of my bedroom."

Bella couldn't help but laugh at the visual that he created. She reached over and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm glad I came back, Jake. I missed you so much. And it feels right, being back here again."

"You might not be saying that in a couple hours."

"Why's that?"

"Well, Sam has a bit of an excursion planned for this afternoon."

"That sounds surprisingly ominous."

"You're not going to want to do it."

"What does he have planned?"

Jacob wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Cliff diving. Only this time, you aren't going to nearly drown."

Bella blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what he'd just said. "Jake, it's November. The water is going to be freezing! And why the hell would Sam want me to jump off a cliff anyway?"

"We go all year round. It's fun, and the girls have cars waiting at the bottom for us to get into when we're through. You don't have to go if you don't want to. It actually isn't Sam's idea. But I promised you once that I'd take you, and I never did. What d'ya say, Bells? Jump off a cliff with me?"

Bella smiled softly when she noticed what he'd called her. Perhaps ten years hadn't eradicated their friendship as far as she'd thought it had. Maybe they had a chance after all. She nodded. "Jacob Black, I would love to jump off a cliff with you."

****

Two chapters done, only God knows how many left to go. I think we'll start to see the glimmers of a romance in the next couple chapters, though I'm going to try and take it slow. Keep in mind that they're both grown now, and the time apart has altered the dynamic. They're coming at this as equals now. Jacob's not blinded by love, and Bella's not hung up on Edward anymore. They've moved on, moved past one another, and now they're able to come back and find each other again without all the other stuff in their way. This is not a typical, Edward leaves and Bella rushes into Jacob's arms story.

All in all, I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, let me know by leaving a review. And if you didn't, let me know what I can do to make it better. Constructive criticism is always welcome, though flames are discouraged.


	3. Fire and Ice

Bella walked along the beach with Emily, watching as half the pack stood at the edge of the cliff they were about to jump off of. "Do they not care that it's winter?"

"They don't feel it like we would. One of the perks of being so much warmer than your average human. Besides, Sam thinks that cliff diving is a good way for them to build up their camaraderie. It's a male bonding thing. Generally, it's saved for when there's something divisive going on in the pack and they're trying to figure out a way to fix it. That or it's a trust exercise for new wolves."

"So this is about me?"

"Mostly. Your coming back has split some of them. The ones you were close to are all for helping you. Anything to kill a vampire. Some of the younger ones, or the ones you weren't close to, well, they aren't as crazy about the idea. And Jake's been torn. He's been a mess this past week. If he'd been able to take a firm stance, it would have helped, especially with him being Alpha now. But he hasn't been able to decide, which is just adding fuel to the fire. They've been a volatile group lately. Leah and Embry are occupying separate rooms at the moment they're so divided over the issue."

"Let me guess. Leah thinks I should be thrown to the vampires and left to fend for myself?"

"Mostly. Paul isn't a huge fan of helping you. Neither are Collin and Brady. Embry, Quil and Seth are all for it. Sam doesn't like the idea, but he thinks it's his job to protect any human from vampires, regardless of their history, and Jacob hasn't been able to decide what he feels. Though the fact that you're here must mean you've made some progress."

"He asked me to jump with him. Though I'm not sure why."

"Same reason they're doing it, I'd wager. Like it or not, they're going to have to deal with you until this is over. They need to be able to trust you, you need to be able to trust them. Jumping with them shows them that you trust them to do whatever they need to do, that you aren't holding yourself back. It may seem trivial, but it will make a difference with the pack. Especially with the ones who are doubting you."

"He took me to see Mackenzie."

Emily's eyes softened at the mention of Jacob's daughter. "She's gorgeous, isn't she? He grew up so fast after she was born. And now he's raising her on his own. He's so good with her. Kim and Rachel are watching all the kids up at our house. It's much too cold for them to be down here. I pretty much stay down here with dry clothes for everyone so that they can change when they're done. I brought some of my stuff for you, I think it'll fit."

"How did you know I would be coming?"

"Sue Clearwater called after you and Jacob left her house. I figured you'd be here. And for what it's worth, Bella, I'd really like to see you and Jake figure things out. I know it wasn't so simple as some of them wanted it to be. You were hurting, you were both kids, and you both made mistakes. I just hope he's smart enough to let it go and move past it. You've both changed, you've both grown up. There's nothing standing in your way now. Not like there was then."

Bella shrugged. "I've always loved Jake. But unfortunately, sometimes just loving someone isn't enough. And he doesn't have those feelings for me anymore. He's moved on. He told me so himself."

"And do you still have those feelings for him?"

"That's the problem. I never stopped having feelings for him. I don't think I can."

Emily smiled knowingly. "I sort of suspected as much. We'll talk later. I don't want the boys to overhear anything you don't want them all to know." She waved as Seth loped down the beach. He grinned at them both as he skidded to a stop.

"They're ready up top. Jake told me to bring you up if you haven't chickened out."

"I'm ready."

"Great. Hop on and I'll have you up there in a second."

Laughing, Bella obligingly climbed on his back, grinning as he took off at werewolf speed toward the top of the cliff. Seth had always been one of her favorite wolves, sweet and still so innocent. Just a good-natured kid. He'd been the only one who had even tried to accept the Cullens, the only one who had accepted her decision to be with Edward, who hadn't hated her for leaving Jacob. He was the only one who had understood that it was what she needed to do.

She threw her arms around his neck when he deposited her on the ground, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace awkwardly, smiling down into her face, his eyes searching hers for the motivation behind the hug.

"I just wanted to say thanks. I know it's weird with me back here. And you've been the only one acting like nothing's changed."

Seth shook his shaggy hair, started the last leg to the edge, where everyone else was upwind of them, making the conversation somewhat private. "Really, Bella? Nothing has changed. We just got older, and some of us had kids. But other than that, we're the same. Jake's the same, and if I had to guess, everything between the two of you is still the same."

Bella stopped, looked at Seth as if she was seeing him for the first time. "You really have grown up, Seth. You're not a boy anymore." She patted his arm, started walking. "Let's go do this."

****

"Ready?"

Bella looked at Jacob, her arms crossed over her abdomen, slight shivers going through her body at the cold wind blowing. "Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." She toed off her shoes, shrugged out of her jacket and sweater so that she was clad in jeans and a t-shirt.

Before she could take a single step toward the edge of the cliff, Embry snatched her up in his arms, running toward the edge and leaping off if. Bella shrieked, her arms and legs flailing, pummeling him as they plunged through the air and into the water.

It was freezing. The cold took her breath away, and she inadvertently took in a lungful of sea water. But then, almost as quickly as they'd gone into the water, she was breaking the surface, Embry's arm securely around her as he stroked smoothly toward the shore. When she felt her feet touch the bottom she yanked back from him, wanting desperately to punch him, but knowing better.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

Embry laughed, slung an arm around her shoulder, and as angry as she was, she couldn't help but gravitate toward his heat, anything to counteract the cold. "That, Bella, my girl, was fun. Couldn't let Jacob get all the fun with you." He stopped, turned her to face him. "Emily told you this is about trust. You trust Jacob, and believe me or not, deep down, he still trusts you. But we need to be a pack. You need to be a part of this. That means trusting the rest of us to keep you safe the same way you trust Jake. So if you want this to work, you'll climb on my back, go back up there, and jump back off with someone else."

Bella considered that for a long minute. Then sighing, she walked behind him and let him help her onto his back. Before she could stop shivering, they were back on top of the cliff, and she was sliding off his back and striding purposefully into the pack of wolves.

The scene on top of the cliff was not a happy one. Sam and Quil held Jacob's arms, keeping him from lunging at Embry as they walked back into the group. He snarled, the sound barely human, and Bella knew it was taking all of his strength to not phase right then. She smiled, swiped a lock of wet hair back from her face.

"Well that was fun." She patted Jacob's arm reassuringly. "No harm, no foul, Jake. I'm fine. He just took me off guard."

"You had no right to do that, you son of a bitch! You could have killed her!"

Embry shook his head. "She was perfectly safe with me. I wouldn't let anything happen to Bella. You know that. Not in a million years would I let her get hurt."

"She was supposed to go with me. I brought her here, she was my responsibility. You know about what happened the last time she was here! And you were idiotic enough to grab her and throw her off a fucking cliff! Did you even think at all?"

"I went with her, Jacob! It wasn't like I was going to let anything hurt her!"

Bella cleared her throat. "Hello? Boys? The girl you're arguing about is standing right here." She nodded to Sam and Quil, took Jacob's hands in hers. "Walk with me for a minute."

Grudgingly, Jacob followed her and she led him a ways down the path until she was pretty sure they were out of earshot of the pack. She sat on a rock, and he leaned against a tree, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well?"

"Embry told me, down at the bottom, that the pack needs to trust me. That they need to know that I trust them. That some of them have doubts about helping me, about letting me back in. I understand that. I'm surprised you all don't have doubts. God knows I don't deserve another chance after everything that I put you through. If this cliff diving is about trusting each other, about bonding as a pack, then I'll jump off that ledge with every one of you. Because Embry is right. We have to trust each other."

"You're serious."

"I'm dead serious. I told you I've grown up. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure everyone of you trusts me. So you tell me what to do if you don't think I should be jumping with you."

Jacob stared at her for a minute, then extended a hand. "Let's go do some jumping." He chuckled at the temperature of her skin. "Though you might end up blue before the end of this."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

****

An hour later Bella was beginning to regret her decision. She'd been over the edge with Seth, Quil, Collin, Brady, Sam and Jared. Her lips were tinged blue, her body was shaking from the cold, and she really didn't think she was going to be able to finish jumping as she wanted to. But the only ones left were Paul, Leah and Jacob, and she really didn't think jumping with Jacob was going to be necessary, unless the pack needed to see the alpha take her too. Emily had spent most of the time exchanging wet blankets for dry ones, and trying to briefly warm Bella before sending her back up the slope to dive off again. On the upside, however, she no longer felt indescribable fear when she walked to the edge.

Sam glanced at Bella, nodded to Paul. "You're next."

"Sam, dude, she's about to freeze to death. Let's call it a day."

"Bella would tell us if she needed to stop."

Jacob looked at Bella, rubbed her arms briskly, using his much higher than normal body heat to warm her chilled skin. "We can stop. You don't have to do this."

"I can do it. Three more. I'm two thirds of the way done." She reached out and grabbed Paul's hand. "Let's get this done. Leah, you're next."

By the time she got back to the top of the cliff, Bella's teeth were chattering and Paul was carrying her as if she were a child, her legs cinched around his waist, her arms around his neck, and her head buried in his neck. The heat rolling off of him and onto her chilled flesh caused steam to form around them.

Gently, Paul set her down, gingerly removed the blanket from around her shoulders and tossed it into the pile of wet blankets that had been accumulating over the course of her several jumps from the top of the cliff. Emily had dashed back to her house for another pile of them, promising to be back before Bella and Leah made it to shore.

Paul had never been one to coddle or treat Bella like glass, but he was gentle as he placed her feet on the ground. He glared at Sam and Jacob. "I don't know what you think this proves."

"Takes a lot of guts to jump off this cliff with someone you don't trust. Bella needs to be able to trust all of us without limits. This is us proving that we'll take care of her, and her proving that her trust is unwavering. It's good for everyone." Embry looked at his wife. "Leah, you're up."

Leah looked at Embry for several moments, a multitude of emotions passing between them through that one gaze. Finally, Leah nodded stiffly and strode over to Bella, holding out a hand. Bella glanced at Jacob, offering a tight smile, and took the outstretched hand as reluctantly as possible. Leah didn't trust her, she didn't trust Leah, but she was determined to make a good faith showing to try and make things right with the pack. And deep down, she knew Leah was only so bitchy because she truly cared about Jacob and was upset over how Bella had hurt him before she'd left.

Slowly, they walked to the edge of the cliff. Bella looked down at the waves, at the cold water that took her breath and disoriented her each time she hit it. She took a deep breath as Leah tugged on her arm and couldn't help the scream as she was thrown over the edge.

The scream turned from one of exhiliaration to one of terror as Leah released her hand and switched her form into a graceful swan dive, leaving Bella to hurtle through the air on her own. She didn't see Seth leap off the edge, immediately realizing what his sister had done.

The water was icy, closing over her head, stealing her breath, confusing her. Her arms waved, her legs kicked, trying desperately to find the way up. The salt stung her eyes, her lungs burned, and she knew she wasn't going to last long.

Then, a hand closed over her wrist, pulling her steadily toward the surface. When her head broke through the water, she immediately gulped in a lungful of air, wrapping her arms around her rescuer. Seth locked one arm around her waist, began propelling her toward shore, his muscles quivering with anger. She heard several howls, and knew instantly that Jacob had phased.

"He's going to kill her. Seth, get me there before him. He's going to kill Leah!"

"Leah's lucky I don't kill her. Fucking idiotic stunt like that. She was trying to kill you."

Bella struggled from his embrace as soon as she could stand, ran toward the beach and Leah, who was standing on the sand, her hands on her hips, looking smug and beautiful as Bella tripped and nearly fell several times on her run to beat Jacob to the female wolf. Before Bella could get a word out, Leah walked over, stood toe to toe with the younger woman.

"Let's get one thing straight. I don't trust you. I can't trust you. You betrayed us, you took up with our mortal enemy, and if they hadn't left you, we'd be ripping you limb from limb right now. And you can't trust me either. I don't get along with vamp lovers. I don't care what the rest of the guys say. And next time you try to force the issue, I'll do more than let go, I'll make sure you hit the rocks."

Bella's eyes widened in horror as she saw the large russet wolf charging down the slope, flanked by the other, obviously trying to hold him back. "Leah! Run!"

Leah whirled, her body quivering as she took in what was happening. She leaped, phasing instantly and took off. Bella did the only thing she could think of. She raced across the sand as fast as she could ,and launched herself at Jacob, wrapping her arms around his neck, tangling her hands in his fur, burying her face in it.

"I'm okay. Don't kill her. I'm okay." She ran her hands over his face, knowing how angry he was from the way he was shaking. "Don't do it, Jake. You'll regret it. You're mad right now, but she's Embry's wife, she's a mother, she's Seth's sister. She's a member of your pack."

Seth cleared his throat. "Bella, she has to be punished. What she did was wrong. Jake is right to go after her."

"No." Bella stood, faced all the wolves, noticed that Leah had stopped further up the beach, that Emily was running from her car, having taken in the whole scene. "I deserved what Leah did. She's right. I betrayed you. I fell in love with a vampire. I wanted to become a vampire. What I wanted, what I tried to do, would have made me your enemy. If I has succeeded, we would be fighting each other right now. And not only did I want it, when it didn't happen, I mourned for years. But I've come to realize that humanity is something to be cherished, not something to give up. Being mortal forces you to live, not just exist. It's a gift, not a curse. I betrayed your trust, I broke hearts, I used you. And I deserved what Leah did. She has no reason to trust me. And you shouldn't be willing to let me trust you. I'm asking for way more than I deserve. But I wanted to prove that I trust you, all of you, with my life. And while I deserved what Leah did, I'm grateful the rest of you have found it in yourselves to forgive me for what I did, to trust me as I trust all of you."

"Bella, we don't all feel like that. We understand that you were a kid, that you were in love. We don't blame you for what happened."

Bella turned to Quil, who had phased back and pulled on the clothes Emily had tossed to him. "I know you don't. But you have every right to. Leah has every right to. This issue is between two women, not between Leah and the pack." She reached to Jacob, laid her hand on his flank. "I started something today. I'd like to finish it."

Sam was the next to phase back. "Bella, Leah could have killed you. What she did was dangerous, reckless, mean, and completely uncalled for."

"I know." She turned to look at Leah, her eyes meeting that of the wolf. "But this should have showed you that you can trust me. You could have taken my life, and I just saved yours."

Sam looked at Jacob, nodded. "Go. Finish this. You're Alpha."

Jacob lowered his head and stared at Leah, fury still evident in his eyes. But he jerked his head at Bella, which she took as a sign to climb on. Once she was settled on his back, he ran back up the slope of the cliff. Once she was back on her feet, he phased back to human form and pulled on the clothes he had discarded before turning into his wolf form.

"Why?"

Bella shook her head. "It's about trust. If she needed me to prove that she could trust me first, that's fine. She wouldn't have let me drown, Jake. She was close to me while we were falling. It was a test, I think. To test how I would react, to see if you would let her get away with it. She wanted to know where I stood with everyone."

"It was stupid. She's lucky I didn't rip her throat out." He walked to the edge, looked down disinterestedly. "We don't have to do this. You've been through a lot today."

"No. Emily said you've been conflicted this week, trying to figure out how you felt about me being back, how you felt about helping me. They know that, Jake. They need to see you do this. They need to see a united front."

He pondered that for a few seconds. "You really have grown up. Did you mean everything you said down there?"

"Every word. Seven years on my own gave me a new perspective. Edward and I, what we had, it was beautiful and special, and I will cherish the memories for the rest of my life. But what he gave me, by leaving, was my life. That is a gift greater than any other. I know that now. I hate them for leaving like they did, for abandoning me, for the years with no word from any of them. But I know now that what they did, they did out of love. I'm a different person now. I don't need anyone. I did then. I needed Edward, I needed you. I don't now. Now it's about what I want."

"So what do you want?"

Bella smiled softly, wrapped her arms around his waist. "Right now I want to get this over with and go change into dry clothes. I stopped being able to feel my skin forty minutes ago."

Jacob wrapped his arms around her, and with a loud yell, he leaped off the edge. They hit the water together, and this time, Bella didn't even feel the impact. All she felt was Jacob. His muscles taking them to the surface, his chest pressed against hers, heaving from the exertion of struggling against the current and waves. His arm locked protectively around her, his legs kicking strongly, brushing against hers.

They broke the surface, their faces mirroring triumphant grins. She laughed exuberantly, throwing her arms around his neck. And then, his mouth was on hers, his hand cupping the back of her head, the other arm hitching her up to wrap her legs around him.

His mouth was hot and firm, and hers softened underneath his kiss, her lips parting to accept his tongue. Her hands fisted in his hair, she couldn't help the groan deep in her throat at the plethora of sensations running through her. Her mouth moved against his, actively participating in the kiss.

He tore away from her, their breathing ragged, and braced his forehead against hers. She barely noticed when his feet hit sand and he started walking out of the ocean, her legs still wrapped around him. Their eyes were glued on each other, his hands on her hips, hers gripping his shoulders. Only when the sounds of the pack from the beach reached them did he break out of his trance long enough to set her on the ground.

"Jake-"

"Don't Bella."

"What was that about?"

"I don't know." He stooped to kiss her forehead, sighed deeply. "It would seem things haven't changed as much as I had hoped they had."

Any further conversation was made impossible by Emily racing across the sand with a blanket, which she wrapped around Bella's shoulders, briskly rubbing, trying to get some of the water off of her. Bella turned her attention to the other woman, smiled reassuringly and followed her to the car, where she was hastily stripped and rubbed down with rough towels. By then, she was so cold, it didn't even occur to her to be embarrassed by Emily's mothering.

After she was dressed, she went back down to the beach, strode straight to Jacob, tipping her head to look up at him. "What now?"

Jacob shook his head. "I don't know."

****

Whew, so that was about twice as long as normal. I just couldn't find a stopping point for it. Hope you liked it. It was the first taste of B/J goodness. There will be more, though things aren't resolved by any stretch.


	4. A Shocking Request

Okay everyone, I have 14, yes 14, chapters of this completely finished and ready for posting. However, I am not getting nearly enough reviews. So, I'm going to give you a bit of incentive. I plan on updating once a week. If I get 15 reviews for any given chapter, I will go ahead and post the next one, even if it's the very next day. If I don't get more reviews, my posting will continue regularly on Friday afternoons. So, if you want more than one chapter a week, review!!! Let me know what you're thinking about this. Because I promise, what's to come, you definitely want to read!

****

"The Volturi are the royalty of the vampires. They are the oldest, the most powerful. Basically, they make the rules, and they have members who are sent to enforce those rules if they're broken. The only one they ever enforce regularly is that humans cannot know about the existence of vampires. If a vampire breaks that rule, they can be killed. That's why they're after me. I know about vampires, and they found out that I know when I went to Volterra with Alice to save Edward. Aro, their leader, can read your thoughts, all the thoughts that you've ever had, just by touching you. Though for some reason, he can't read mine, which is why he wants me turned instead of killed. He was going to have me turned then, but he read Alice's thoughts, and at that time, Alice saw me becoming a vampire.

"The Volturi are very powerful, and there are a lot of them, though the leaders rarely leave Volterra. If they're coming after me, we're in deep. Jane can put you in excruciating pain just by thinking about it, Demetri can track anyone all over the world. Once he's got you, there's no escaping him. He either kills you, or you kill him. It's the only choice. Alec can block your senses. Basically, he can turn you blind, deaf, block everything. Renata can make you lost, even if you know exactly where you are. Caius and Marcus are the other two leaders. Marcus senses relationships, which might seem like a stupid power, but think about it. If he can see who you love, he knows how to hurt you the worst. I don't know what Caius can do, but he's strong. Chelsea can do something with emotions. She basically can change the way you feel about people. Make you hate people you love.

"I know it doesn't seem like much. They're not physically stronger than other vampires, but their powers are with the mind. In fifteen hundred years no one has ever been able to defeat the Volturi. I don't know who they're sending, I don't know when they'll get here. But vampires all over the world respect the Volturi. If we don't take them out definitively, the vampires won't ever stop until we're all dead."

The building was silent when Bella finished speaking, all of them trying to take in what she had just said. They were looking at each other, trying to get a feel for what all the others were thinking until, finally, Sam stood.

"Bella's right. We can't take this too seriously. The abilities of these leeches are different than the ones we're used to. Most of the vampires we've fought haven't had any special abilities about them. Our only experience with vampires with mental powers have been the Cullens. And obviously, the Cullens have nothing on the Volturi. Physically, we can be ready soon. Physical training is something we can do. It's the mental training that we have to work on."

Jacob cleared his throat. "Bella, do you know if their abilities work on werewolves?"

"I would think they would. Edward can read your minds."

"But Alice can't see us."

"Alice thinks that's just an Alice thing as opposed to a vampire thing. She thinks she can see humans because she used to be one, and she can see vampires because she is one, but not the wolves because she never was one of them."

"We do have one advantage, Jake." Quil leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "The pack mind. They can't get at all of us at once, and if we're very aware of each other, then we might be able to break out of whatever it is they're trying to do."

"Bella, how many are there?"

"Thirty two total. Most of them I don't know, but I get the feeling they're muscle. Some never leave Volterra. The wives of the leaders, they never leave. The ones I told you about are the ones I know to worry about. Especially Jane and Demetri. They're the two that are the scariest. I saw Jane work. She tortured Edward with one word. And Demetri, you can't ever escape from him."

"Does the Cullen girl know who they're sending?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to her. I haven't heard from any of them other than the one letter Alice sent me, warning me about the Volturi. Right now, they don't want me dead. They want me turned. According to Alice, it's only after I'm turned that they want me dead. Apparently, as a vampire, I would have the ability to shield myself and those around me from outside influences. It's an extension of why they can't see into my head. Once I'm turned, they become scared of me, think I'm a threat, and they want me dead."

Jacob chuckled ruefully. "Seems like you can't win with these things. When you're human they want you vamped out, when you're a vampire they want you dead. Well deader."

"I don't want to be a vampire anymore. I haven't wanted that in a long time. I don't want them to turn me, and I don't want to die. If they find out I'm unwilling to be turned, they'll just kill me and be done with it."

"Bella, why haven't they come after us? Some of the humans on the reservation know about vampires. It's obvious they know about vampires. They're married to werewolves, children of werewolves or parents of werewolves."

"Because you're not technically werewolves. Werewolves change during the full moon only. They can't control the transformation, and they aren't capable of rational thought during the change. You're what they consider to be shape shifters. They don't consider you a threat. You're not doing anything to expose them. And the humans know because they're family. It wasn't some random discovery. In centuries the Quileute haven't exposed vampires. Why would you start now?"

"Okay, so now we just have to figure out what we're going to do. We know it's only a matter of time before they figure out that you're here. If they think you're still with the Cullens, we have some time since they know what's going on. But we need to find a way to counteract their mental abilities."

Sam looked at Jacob, then turned to Bella. "Can you get in touch with the Cullens? Maybe they have some ideas on how to resist them."

"I don't have any way to contact them. I don't have a number, an email, even an address. I have no idea where they are. The only thing I can do is go home and try to do something that Alice will see. I'd do it here, but she won't see me around the pack."

"I'll take you home."

Bella giggled. "Jake, that negates the whole, I need to be away from werewolves thing. If you're around, she won't see me."

"She's right, Jacob. And Mackenzie could probably use some time with her Daddy." Emily smiled as she entered the room, holding a pretty baby on one hip. Jacob lit up when he saw his daughter, eagerly took her and cradled her against his chest.

"I'll come down tonight to get my bike."

"That's fine. It's just going to be me and Charlie tonight." She cleared her throat nervously. "There is one other thing that I wanted to talk to you about. All of you."

Sam lifted his eyebrows. "There's more?"

"Well, not exactly. I know I'm already asking a lot, but there's one more thing I'd like to ask from you. When they come, if they bite me. I don't want to turn. I don't want to be a vampire."

Jacob was at her side before she could blink. "You can't ask us to kill you. I can't kill you."

"Jake, it's for the best. I don't want to be that. I don't want to live on blood. I don't want any of it. It's not living. It's just existing. I don't want it. _I don't want to_ _be your enemy._"

"Bella-"

Leah cut Sam off before he could finish the sentence. "I'll do it. If they bite you, I'll kill you."

Bella nodded her thanks, squealing when Jacob grabbed her hand and dragged her outside. Emily stifled a laugh as they passed her. "We're having a party for Mackenzie on Saturday at noon. You should come."

Bella waved, trying not to stumble as he propelled her out the door. "I'll be there!"

Jacob marched her to the car, opened the passenger door and shoved her inside. He carefully buckled Mackenzie into the carseat that was still in the backseat of her truck. He crossed to the driver's side, got in and pulled out of the driveway, tires screeching.

"What the fuck was that about?" he punched the steering wheel. "You'd rather die? Bella, how the hell can you ask that of us?!"

"It's better than having you all hate me! It's better than never being able to see my parents! Than never being able to see you and the pack! Than never being able to walk down the street in the sun, than being able to sit in a movie theatre without wanting to eat everyone around me! That isn't a life, Jacob! I don't want it!"

"It used to be the only thing you wanted! And now, just when things are starting to get back to normal, just when I think things might get better, you decide you would rather die than live like that!"

"I would rather die because everything about my life that I love would disappear the second my heart stopped beating!" the tears surprised Bella as they started streaming down her face. "I don't want to live an eternity alone and miserable. I'd rather have whatever time it is that I get to spend human. I don't want it, Jacob."

"Would things be different if you were still with Edward?"

"I don't know. Maybe. But it's a moot point because I'm not with him. I haven't spoken to him in seven years. He has nothing to do with this. The Cullens have nothing to do with this. This is who I've become away from here, away from you, from them. This is me."

Jacob pulled the truck over to the side of the road, turned to face her. "I don't think I'll be able to do it. I don't think I'll be able to let her do it. I don't think I can stand watching you die."

"And I cannot live as a vampire. I don't want you to be disgusted when you touch me. I don't want your nose to wrinkle up when I walk in the room. I don't want you to worry about leaving me alone with your daughter."

"Bella, I'd have to worry about leaving her with you now. You can barely manage the stairs on your own."

She giggled at that, wiped tears from her face as he pulled back onto the road. By mutual assent, they decided to leave the topic for another time. The longer they spent together, the more it was obvious that neither of them had moved past the feelings they had long ago harbored for one another. It seemed as if they had successfully buried their feelings for many years, but they had not gone away. That was something that they would both have to deal with.

The rest of the car ride was silent until Jacob parked in Charlie's driveway. Bella shivered involuntarily, and rubbed her hands on her arms. She was still only clad in the jeans and tank Emily had lent her, the rest of her clothes being soaked. Her shoes had gone missing at some point, so she was barefoot. Jacob chuckled, slid his arm around the back of the seat. She smiled, slid across the seat and into his warmth, sighing contentedly. The situation brought back memories of that long ago night when they had sat so close to each other the night that Alice Cullen had returned.

"Don't smell any vampires this time do you?"

"I think the coast is clear."

"You can take the truck back to La Push, bring it back tonight or tomorrow and get your bike. It'll be safe here."

"Thanks."

"No worries." She shifted to reach for the door handle, smiled when Jacob's hand curved around the back of her neck, drawing her into him, fitting her body to his larger one, his mouth covering hers softly.

The kiss was sweet and easy, not at all like the one they shared in the water. He didn't prolong it, kept it brief and shallow, but her breath was still slowly sucked out of her body as she melted into his embrace. When he pulled back from her, he was grinning.

"I wanted to do this so bad that night. Would have to, if Alice Cullen hadn't been inside." He kissed her once more, then leaned over her and opened the door for her to get out. "I'll bring the truck back tonight."

"I'm making lasagna for Charlie. There's plenty."

"If that's an invitation to dinner, I would love to, but I can't. Raincheck?"

"Sure." She slid out of the truck. "I'll see you tonight."

"I'll try not to be too late. You know how patrol can be. And she's normally pretty fussy at bedtime."

"Take your time. I'll try and get in touch with Alice."

Reluctantly, Bella closed the door and walked to the house, stopping briefly to check the mail before unlocking the door and walking inside. She was halfway to the kitchen to deposit the stack of catalogs and bills when a thick envelope addressed to her caught her eye. There was no return address, but the handwriting was unmistakable. _Alice._


	5. Alice

_My dearest Bella,_

_ I would start out by telling you I hope you're well, but since I can see you and your future, I know this letter finds you in good health. Since some aspects of your life have begun disappearing, I can only assume that your most recent company is covered in fur and walks on four legs instead of the preferable two. I'll try and keep Edward from finding that out._

_ I know you ignored my last letter, though I had to send it because I could see that reading it would make you more aware, and it is that awareness that saved your life. I know you are angry with us, Bella, as you have a right to be. Believe me when I tell you that I saw all the nights you cried after we left, and though I cannot produce tears, I cried with you. My sister. My friend._

_ I did not wish to leave you. I wanted more than anything to see you become a member of our family, to become one of us. I know the rest of us, save Rosalie, wanted that as well. And her reluctance was not born out of hate or spite, but out of love. She recognized, more than perhaps the rest of us, what a gift humanity is. Her humanity was stolen from her, and she did not wish to see the same thing happen to you. I hope that you realize we did what we did to protect you, not out of some desire to see you hurt._

_ Carlisle is attempting to reason with Aro, and while the outlook is not as dire as it could be, neither is it ideal. Especially with me being unable to see you at some points. This is the point where I beg you to stay away from those with tails, though since your future remains blacked out, I know you will not heed that request. I cannot say I blame you. I know, perhaps more than anyone, how conflicted you were over your decision to leave Forks so many years ago, how it pained you to leave your Jacob Black. How you loved him nearly as much as you loved Edward, perhaps even more, in a different manner._

_ Oh Bella, I don't know what to do. The last thing I wish to see is you unhappy, but I cannot stand by and allow you to be killed. After all, you're my sister. I see Carlisle failing at convincing Aro to cease his quest to see you turned. Aro will send his troops after you, and there will be twelve of them. Jane and Demetri will be among them, as will the vampire Victoria. She's been lying in wait for you to return to Forks, as she was unable to track us once we left with you. When she heard that the Volturi might be after you, she offered them her services. From what I can see, they do not yet know where you are. They assumed when you left Phoenix that you had begun to search us out. As of yet, they're convinced one of us is harboring you, which is why we have split up. We'll keep them from you for as long as we can. Thankfully Carlisle has no idea that I've been in contact with you, else Aro would see his thoughts._

_ I cannot see your fate, which means only one thing. Whatever it is, it is tied up with the wolves. I'm thankful they're helping you, despite the hard feelings they harbor toward my family, despite the hurt feelings caused by your decision to love my brother. And as much as it pains me to say this, I hope you find happiness with your wolf. I know you've loved him always, and though I can't see him, it's obvious to anyone who lays eyes on Jacob that he is crazy in love with you. The one thing we all wished for you was happiness. Edward and Rose wished you happiness and humanity. Though I regret that is the path you must take, I believe the wolf if the best person for you. I can't believe I just said that._

_ They will come for you after Christmas. I believe it is before the dawn of the New Year, though I cannot be entirely sure yet. It happens on the reservation, the same field where Laurent found you before. The moon is high and full. Once they arrive in the field, their futures disappear, so I know they encounter your pack._

_ I should not do this, but in the envelope, there is my email and phone number. I implore you, Bella, do not use it unless you need me. I wish nothing more than to be able to talk to you, to be your friend, your sister once again, but until this battle is over I cannot. But should you need me, you need only call and I will be there as soon as I can. At this point I do not see you calling me, so I am hopeful that your wolves can handle the situation._

_ Oh Bella, I miss you more than I've missed anyone before. This is not the fate that any of us would have chosen for ourselves, and while I wish more than anything to have you with me for the rest of my life, I cannot begrudge you the LIFE you've chosen. I have greatly enjoyed my decades as a vampire, and I know the rest of my family has as well, but I know they all feel as I do in that had they had a choice, I believe we all would have chosen to finish our human lives as elderly people, dying in our sleep, looking back over a long life filled with laughter and sunlight. As a vampire, the years blur together and stretch onward with no end in sight, and instead of laughter and sunlight, we have darkness and struggle ahead of us. The price we pay for eternal existence. You have shown us what we're missing, and I know I speak for everyone when I say we would join you on your human journey if we could. Please know you mean so much to us that we would give up our immortality if only it would allow us to be a part of your life once more._

_ Be careful, my sister. And follow your heart. I know you no longer pine for Edward, and though he loves you still, his pain is much lessened. Be happy with your wolf._

_ Oh, and before I forget, the questions you have about the pack are interesting. All I know is that the Volturi have never encountered anything like your pack. The advantage lies in their connection. I believe that if they can all be aware of one another, of the connections that run between them, linking them into one multifaceted mind, if they can truly be ONE, I do not believe the Volturi will be able to use their abilities against the wolves. But they are going to have to be so connected that they can help each other overcome the attempts by the Volturi to overtake them._

_ Love always,_

_ Your Sister Alice_

_****_

Bella reread the letter half a dozen times before it all sank in. By then, tears were blurring her eyes and she wrapped her arms around herself, missing the family she had grown to love so much that it caused her physical pain. She clutched the slip of paper with a number and email written on it and wanted so badly to call that she had to walk away from her phone to keep from it. Desperate to busy herself, she set about making the lasagna, putting together a salad, and even baked an apple pie for dessert before her father got home. She was still washing dishes from the pie when she heard Charlie's key in the lock and smiled as he shuffled into the kitchen, still pulling off his coat.

"Any big crime sprees in the thriving metropolis of Forks today?"

"Just some dumb kids throwing snowballs at cars driving down Main Street. I spent most of my day on the phone with annoyed parents. You do anything exciting today?"

"Took a bunch of old clothes to donate. I needed room for my stuff and the clothes left here will never fit me anymore. Jake stopped by and decided I should meet his daughter. Then I went cliff diving with the pack."

Charlie blinked, not sure he'd heard her correctly. "I swear I'm going deaf, Bells. I could swear I just heard you say you went cliff diving."

"Jacob was going with Sam and a bunch of the guys and he invited me along. I was just going to jump once with Jake, but Embry picked me up and took me over, so I jumped a few times. Even Leah was going. It was fun."

"It's November."

"That was what I said at first, too. But Emily waited on the beach with blankets and dry clothes and then we went right back to the reservation to eat lunch. It was cold, yeah, but I trust Jake. And I needed to do something to make him forgive me."

Flabbergasted, Charlie dropped into a chair. "So instead of baking him cookies, or taking him to dinner, you decide to JUMP OFF A CLIFF!"

Bella winced when his voice rose two octaves, turned around slowly, amazed that having her father yell at her still had any effect on her. "Dad, it's fine. Really. I'm in one piece, no one got hurt. They do it all the time."

"I know that Bella, but they're were-" Charlie stopped midsentence when he realized what he had been about to say, began studiously drinking the cup of coffee Bella had handed him when he'd first walked in. Her mouth agape, Bella turned to face him, her hands on her hips.

"They're what, Dad?"

"Never mind, Bells. Just think next time. That cliff is dangerous. You could have gotten killed."

"Even when I was jumping with a pack of werewolves?"

Charlie took another drink, then deliberately put the cup down on the table and looked at his daughter. "How long have you known?"

"Eleven years. How long have you known?"

"Five. Billy had to tell me. The Cullens, they came back a few years ago, and apparently there was some sort of skirmish between the Quileutes and the Cullens. He had to tell me because I ended up arresting Emmett and Edward Cullen and Quil and Jared. I didn't believe it until I saw them change. I'm still not quite sure I believe it."

And for the second time in one day, Bella's world upended. The Cullens had returned to Forks. Jacob had known they'd been in Forks, and he'd neglected to tell her. He'd known what she'd gone through after they'd abandoned her, and he hadn't thought it pertinent to mention it to her? She felt fury rise in her throat, swallowed to beat it back so that she could talk to her father.

"What do you know about the Cullens?"

"Oh you mean that they're vampires? Yeah, Billy spilled that little tidbit too. Still not too happy about you running off with a coven of vampires, Isabella Marie."

"They're vegetarians."

"So I've been told. They seemed to think you were going to become one." Charlie broke off a piece of garlic break, chewed thoughtfully as Bella sat the lasagna on the table. "I thought it was best not to bring you up around them. It seemed to upset Jacob. I don't think I've ever seen a boy carry a torch for a girl the way he carried one for you. Regardless of the human blood preferences of the Cullens, as your father, I have to insist that you not date Edward again."

"I don't even know where they are. I haven't talked to them in seven years. Just two letters from Alice. You like Alice."

"I do like Alice. But now I'm very aware of my neck when they're around. Things make much more sense now that I know what they are. For the first year I couldn't look at anyone from the reservation without wondering what was going to happen the next full moon. But now, five years later, it's just a fact of life. And truth be told, I feel safer knowing they're out there, protecting this town from things I can't."

"I think this is the strangest conversation I have ever had in my whole life. You know about everything! All this time I tried to watch what I said around you so you wouldn't find out. Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"They didn't say that you knew. I was guessing. And at that point I couldn't imagine you would knowingly date a vampire. I was hoping you had no idea. A vampire, Bella! All the nice, normal boys in this town, and you pick a vampire!"

Bella hasn't realized her father was angry until right then. She reached across the table and took his hand. "Dad, I loved him. That's really all there was to it. I didn't care. I wanted to be with him, I thought we would be together forever. I was a kid. And I was wrong. And now I'm grateful that I didn't do it, that they left before they turned me. Alice sent me a letter, and she told me that none of them chose to be vampires, that they would all willingly give up eternity to live a short life as a human. Because it's a real life instead of an existence. I never thought of it that way back then."

****

Bella was able to go to bed that night with her heart much lighter than it had been. Charlie knew. There were no more secrets between her and her father. It felt good to be able to talk to him about everything. And Alice's letter had made her feel much better about everything that had happened with the Cullens. The only issue was that Jacob had known! He'd known and he'd chosen not to say anything!

As promised, Jacob brought her truck back that night. She heard the engine as she laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind whirling. Soon, she heard the telltale sound of pebbles hitting her window, telling her Jacob wanted to come up, as he had done countless times. And for the first time, she ignored him.


	6. Let's Party

Okay, I only got 13 reviews, but I decided to go ahead and update this to make everyone happy. It makes me happy to post early, too. And I apologize if my posting gets erratic, but my gramma is in end stage cancer, and went into kidney and liver failure this weekend, meaning most of my time is spent in the hospital away from an internet connection. That being said, enjoy, and REVIEW!!!!!!!

****

Saturday came too quickly for Bella's taste. She'd been avoiding Jacob for five days; not answering the door the two times he came to the house, not answering her phone the ten times he called. Charlie came home nearly every night telling her that Jacob had asked about her. But somehow, she just couldn't bring herself to talk to him, to face him knowing that he had deliberately kept information about the Cullens from her. And it wasn't like there hadn't been an opportunity. He'd had plenty of time to tell her about it when they'd been discussing the Cullens and the fact that she had no idea where they were.

She knew it was immature. She knew it was childish. But he had hurt her, and she didn't want to face him until she was sure she could do so without screaming at him. So she'd taken to the internet, doing all the research she could on vampires, on mental abilities, trying to find something, anything, they could use in the fight against the Volturi.

She had, however, taken one afternoon and went into Port Angeles with Emily to find a birthday present for Mackenzie. She'd decided on a set of hand carved building blocks, and more as a joke than anything, a stuffed wolf. Emily had laughed over that purchase the rest of the day.

Going to the reservation was nerve-wracking. She still wasn't sure if she was ready to face Jacob, but she knew she had no choice. In order to calm her nerves, she'd taken extra care with her appearance, choosing fitted black slacks, a ruby red wrap blouse, heeled boots and a belted trench coat to protect her from the biting cold. Her hair had been plaited into a sleek French braid.

Charlie had opted to drive separately since he was working an overnight shift and would have to leave early, leaving Bella to drive to La Push alone. By the time she pulled into Billy's driveway, her heart was pounding in her chest. When she saw the screen door swing open and Jacob strode out, determination clearly etched on his face, she took a deep breath and got out of the truck.

"I hope I'm not late."

"You damn well know what time this thing starts. You want to explain to me why you've been ignoring me for the past week?"

"Sure. Why don't you tell me why you didn't find it necessary to tell me the Cullens were back here a few years ago."

That stopped him in his tracks. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to tell you."

"When? Next week? Next month? A year from now? Didn't you think I would want to know they were here?!"

"You said you didn't want to see them again. I wasn't sure you were ready to find out that they had come back. They were only here for a few days."

"And caused enough of a problem with the pack that Quil and Jared got arrested!"

"You've been talking to Charlie."

"He's my father. We have been known to have a conversation occasionally."

"Bells, I'll tell you all about it, but later. I don't want to mess up the party. Dad's been looking forward to this all week. It wasn't a big deal, and there's no reason this can't wait until afterward."

"Was it about me?"

Jacob sighed as he took the bag she fished out of the back seat, smiled at the teddy bear wrapping paper. "Pretty much. Look, long story short, they showed up, Sam ordered that I not be told. Quil couldn't resist and he and Seth went to see them, thinking that they would be able to see you. When you weren't at the house, Quil demanded to know where you were. Edward smarted off, something to the effect of you were somewhere safe where dogs couldn't sniff and paw at you. Quil took offense and phased. Emmett came to Edward's defense, and it ended up being a big show of testosterone. Jared had been on patrol and he sensed when Quil phased and came to help. Seth was the only one with any sense, and he went to get Sam."

"When did they leave?"

"The day after Carlisle bailed them out, in the middle of the night. I never saw them, Bella. All I know is what I've seen through the others. They told Seth they were just there to tie up some loose ends, something about a rogue vampire they wanted to find. We told them that there hadn't been any activity in a while, and if there was, we would handle it."

"Victoria. They were probably after Victoria." She reached out, laid her hand on his arm. "Alice sent me a letter. I found it the day you dropped me off after cliff diving. She told me who's coming, when they'll be here."

"She's always been the most useful one to have around. Look, I'm sorry I didn't mention it when we were talking about things before. I know we talked about the Cullens, and I should have told you. But I didn't want to bring up a bad subject, and I didn't want to have to see you light up when you found out."

"I'm not eighteen anymore. Sooner or later, you're going to have to trust me to be able to talk about, or maybe even see them, without going right back to wanting to be a vampire." She squeezed his arm. "It hurt, Jake. To think that you knew about them, that you knew how much I had missed them, how much it bothered me to not know anything, and you decided to hide it from me. I had to hear about vampires from my father! Which, by the way, you could have warned me that he knew!"

"I didn't think about it. He's known for years now."

"I know. He slipped and was yelling about cliff diving and called you werewolves. Dad's really changed. He barely even yelled at me about Edward."

"He's had seven years to get over it. He knew when the Cullens left, right?"

"Yeah. He knew. He said he thought better about bringing my name up around you or Billy. Something about you carrying a torch for me and he didn't want to make it worse."

"I don't think it was any secret that I was head over heels for you, Bells. Everyone knew."

"Well, everything's different now." She offered a smile. "Let's get in there. I'm sure there's a little girl incredibly ready to tear into packages."

"It's been a hassle to keep her out of them." He slid an arm around her, started walking to the house. When she slipped out from under his arm just outside the door, he stopped and looked down to her. "Is there a problem?"

"I just think it's better if the pack doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. Or our fathers. I know things are still weird with me being back, and some of them still don't want me here, and I don't want to make things worse."

"Leah will get over it. And our fathers would be thrilled to see something happen."

"But we don't know what this is, Jake! We haven't talked, we haven't figured out what we're doing. I don't know how you feel, I'm still trying to deal with how I feel."

His mouth silenced her. And almost instantly, she melted into his arms, hers slipping up around his shoulders. This time, he wasn't gentle with her. Instead, he dominated her, his arms banding around her, crushing her to him. But she didn't shy away from him. Instead, she eagerly returned the kiss, opening her mouth, her tongue dancing with his, his taste, all dark and dangerous and man intoxicating her.

He groaned deep within his chest, and his hands slid down to grip her hips, angling her body against his. Her scent, her taste, they filled his head until all he could feel was Bella. She tasted sweet and sinful all at once, unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Her hands were on the back of his neck, her skin soft and cooler than his own burning flesh.

Slowly, reluctantly, he ended the kiss, setting her away from him, holding her up until she had caught her breath. Only then did he step back, his eyes clouded with desire. Bella's heart was pounding in her chest, and she wondered briefly if it might pound right out of her chest.

"I think it's quite clear what I feel, Bella. And unless you've become an Academy Award winning actress since I saw you the last time, I think you feel the same way."

"It's fast, Jake. I want you to be sure. Until two weeks ago, you thought I was a vampire. This, I don't want it to be all the feelings you had for me when you were sixteen coming back up. I want you to be sure you feel this way now."

"Let me take you out. Just the two of us. A date. A real date. You want to find out? Let's find out. You have feelings for me, don't you?"

Bella closed her eyes and damned them both. "Yes."

"Are they the same feelings you had for me before you left?"

"No. Then, I didn't know what I wanted, I didn't know who I was. I liked you, I was attracted to you, but I was using you. Now, I want a chance."

"Then let's take one. Let's take that chance we never got to have, the one we never thought we were going to be able to have. Take a chance with me, Bells."

Bella looked up at him, at his molten eyes glittering with hope and some other unnamed emotion. She had been used to looking into the eyes of a boy, the eyes that had stared at her with infatuation and attraction. What she saw now was a man, who was making the decision to forgive her for everything she had done, who cared about her enough, that even after a decade, after a lifetime of hurt caused by her action, that he was willing to put his heart on the line because he believed in her. That was something Edward had never done, something he couldn't have done.

Finally, Bella reached out and twined her fingers with his. "Let's go give everyone a show, shall we?"

****

The reaction to their entrance had been as expected. Plenty of hushed whispers and people sneaking looks. Half the pack looked thrilled, the other half looked apprehensive, though not angry, apart from Leah, who was obviously furious. She and Embry weren't even looking at each other through most of the party.

Mackenzie was resplendent in a lilac party dress, white lace socks and black shiny shoes with a bow in her hair. She was walking, though still unsteady, and had the run of the house. She flitted between admirers, alternating between demanding to be picked up and squirming until the supporting arms carefully deposited her on the floor, where she would either wobble or crawl off, depending on her mood. Her father, ever the watchful parent, kept a close eye on his torpedo of a daughter, swiftly stepping in each time she focused on an unattended glass or purse.

Bella found herself sitting on the couch, wedged between Quil and Seth, the two men shoveling in unbelievable amounts of food. Sue was obviously the queen of the house, efficiently running herd on the twenty or so people gathered. Emily was making use of the kitchen, keeping the food plentiful for a house full of werewolves, and Kim was overseeing the children romping in the backyard. Charlie was, predictably enough, stationed in a corner with Billy, actively arguing about some fishing adventure they'd had earlier that summer.

It was a family. That thought struck Bella as she took in everything, watching the people laugh, bicker playfully, smile and chastise. Somewhere along the line, they'd stopped being a pack and had become a family. The wolves, their parents, spouses, children. They were all connected in such a way that nothing could come between them, not even their division over her.

Bella was pulled from her thoughts by a slight tugging on her pant leg. She looked down, found Mackenzie grinning up at her with a smile identical to that of her father. Seeing that she'd gotten Bella's attention, the small girl lifted her arms.

"Up."

The demand was spoken clearly, and Bella found herself helpless to resist. Not knowing quite what to do, she hooked her hands under Mackenzie's arms and picked her up, standing in order to settle her on a hip, much like she'd seen the other adults do. Happy with the much higher perspective, Mackenzie bounced excitedly, gripping Bella's shirt in two chubby hands.

"Okay, little one, you're up. What in God's name do I do with you now?"

Embry laughed as he sidled up to Bella, ruffling Mackenzie's hair fondly. "You do what she tells you to do. She'll let you know if she's unhappy."

"I've never held a baby before. I don't know what to do."

"You're doing just fine."

"Are they supposed to talk this young?"

"Not normally, but most of the children of the wolves mature quickly. She's been walking for five months now. Seven months is really early for kids to start walking. She knows a few words, knows who people are. She can get her point across most of the time. We think it has something to do with the wolf gene."

"Do you know if they'll phase when they're older?"

"Phasing only happens if there's a threat. So the only way we'll know is if there are vampires around when they hit puberty. Which I hope to God there aren't. We always thought it was a male thing, but with Leah, now we don't know. It's possible all our kids could phase. Looking back on it now, most of the families with wolves tend to have only boys. So it may be less a sex thing and more a bloodline thing."

"Rachel and Rebecca didn't phase."

"True. But the point is, so much is different now than what we thought we knew, there's no way we can even guess what's going to happen with this generation. I don't want to think about Alicia phasing, but with two wolves as parents, the odds are damn good that she will." He looked to where Leah was crouched, helping their daughter tie her shoe. "For all that she is, she's a good mother."

"Leah's a good person, Embry. She just doesn't forgive as easily as the rest of you do. I can't blame her for it. I wouldn't blame you if you all had told me to go to hell."

"Now why on Earth would we do that?" Jacob slid his arm around her waist, smiling at the sight of Mackenzie nestled contentedly in Bella's arms. "You're our favorite white girl."

"Always have been our Vampire Girl." Embry chuckled when she smiled at the old joke, reached out to ruffle her hair. "And whether she likes it or not, you're a member of this pack. She's just going to have to get used to it."

Bella felt love swell within her for the men surrounding her. No matter what she had done, they had come to her aid, they were putting their lives on the line to protect her. They would never run away to spare her, no, they would die fighting for her rather than abandon her for her own good. They had truly made her one of them.

"I hope she does, Em, but I'm not going to force it." She sighed. "After the party is over, you should probably call a pack meeting, Jake. Everyone needs to know about the letter from Alice and what she knows about the Volturi."

"One step ahead of ya there, babe." He kissed the top of her head absently, motioned to the ever growing stack of presents. "Come on, princess. Let's go tear up some wrapping paper and play with empty boxes."


	7. Victoria

Jacob leaned against the door heavily as the last person left after Mackenzie's birthday party. The party had been a great hit, and there had been kids running around underfoot until well past bedtime. Finally, well past ten, Kim and Rachel had hustled their children into cars for the short trek to their respective homes, and Emily had taken Alicia back to the house she shared with Sam for a sleepover with Maggie, who was about the same age. Sue had left not long after, promising to return the next day to finish cleaning up, and Billy, knowing there was pack business, had immediately retired to his room to give them some privacy.

"Okay, Bella has heard from Alice Cullen, and fortunately, the vampire had something helpful to say about the Volturi. Bella?"

Bella shifted from where she sat, Mackenzie passed out in her arms. "After I left to go home the last time I was here, I found a letter from Alice in the mailbox. Apparently she'd seen my efforts to contact her, and decided to head me off. She's having problems getting much information on me because I've been spending so much time with the pack, and I disappear for her when I'm with the wolves. But, she was able to get some information about who the Volturi is sending and when they'll be here, though she can't be exact yet."

"How many are coming?"

"Twelve. Jane and Demetri are with them, and Alice didn't think it important enough to tell me who the others are, so I think we can safely assume they're brawn. Jane is the most dangerous. Victoria is with them."

There were rustlings through the pack at that, and they continued until Sam held up a hand. "We tracked Victoria for months after you left. It was her departure that caused us to stop phasing. We assumed that she went after the Cullens. Did she never find you?"

"No. Alice said Victoria has stayed close, obviously just out of your range, waiting for me to come back because she couldn't find me after the Cullens took me away. She apparently heard rumors that the Volturi were after me, and offered them her help. They're still convinced that I'm with one of the Cullens, so they're taking them on a wild goose chase, trying to keep them away as long as they can."

"Well at least they're good for something. How long do we have?"

"After Christmas, but before New Years. It's going to happen in the same field where you killed Laurent that day, at night, during a full moon. She said she can see the Volturi's future until they enter the field and then they disappear, which means they're with the pack."

"So we have time. A little more than a month. That's good. Plenty of time to train and get ready." Sam stood, taking control of the room. "Collin and Brady leave tomorrow to go back to school in Seattle. They'll be back at Thanksgiving after finals, so they'll be here for this. There have been some signs of teenagers beginning to phase, but there are only a couple that have hit puberty yet. Ryan and Derrick and Matt, but they're all only fourteen. Nothing's happened yet, but I imagine it will. They'll have to be trained, but when this happens, they'll stay in La Push to guard the humans against any stragglers. Bella, since you're the target, we'll assign someone to guard you at all times. No offense to Alice, but she's been wrong before. I don't think we should take any chances with you. Jake, you and I will work out a schedule."

"There's more."

Two words immediately brought everyone's attention back to Bella, and Jacob stood up a little straighter, pushing off the wall, sensing that what she had to say was important. "What is it?"

"Alice thinks that if you can learn to connect the pack mind, that you can keep them out. Jane is the most powerful vampire I know of. She can kill you with a thought. But Alice seems to think that the pack mind is something they've never encountered before, and that if you can learn to work together, to be so connected that as soon as Jane focuses on one of you, all the others are trying to help, that she won't be able to do any damage. You have to learn to be completely focused on each other, to be one mind in several bodies, and if you can do that, she doesn't think the Volturi will be able to use their mental powers against you."

Quil sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Well that's going to take some doing. We've always tried to keep ourselves separate. We don't like hearing everything everyone else is thinking."

Sam nodded. "Well from now on out, we do the opposite. If the leech coming at us can kill us just by thinking about it real hard, we need every bit of ammunition against her that we can get. That's going to be thinking about nothing but staying connected. Focusing on our link, being aware if one of us is targeted." He glanced to Bella. "Is that everything, or did Alice have more to say?"

"Nothing concrete, and I probably shouldn't bring it up, but I got the feeling from her letter that Alice doesn't want to be a vampire anymore. She kept talking about how none of them chose to live forever, and that they wanted more than just an existence, they wanted a life. They were all turned against their will."

Jacob blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of that. "The bloodsuckers want to be human again?"

"That was the feeling I got, yeah."

"Is that even possible?"

"That's what I was hoping you would know. I thought that once you were a vampire you would always be a vampire."

Sam pondered the issue for several minutes. "It's an interesting question, Bella. I don't have an answer for you, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. If we have an answer, it's going to be in the old legends. You know, the ones we all laughed at growing up? If you want, I can arrange for you to have access to the manuscripts. If there's ever been anything known about it, it'll be there."

"Sam, they've been dead for decades. Their hearts don't beat, they don't age, they're hard as stone and cold as ice. They can't possibly turn human!" Leah's voice rose to the point that Mackenzie stirred restlessly against Bella's chest, and Bella glared at the female wolf pointedly. Sam held up a hand to silence them both.

"The point is, we don't know. And I don't think any of us would get our feelings hurt if vampires started being human again. Makes our job easier. And think of it this way, the more time Bella spends on the reservation, the easier it is to keep her out of trouble. I'm not going to spend many man hours trying to find out, but if Bella wants to, that's her choice."

Jacob was looking at Bella, a funny expression on his face. Finally, he sighed. "Okay guys, I've got to get the monster into bed."

"I'll be by tomorrow to work out a patrol schedule. I don't want anyone patrolling alone. Quil, you can see Bella home."

Within minutes, the house was empty save Jacob, Bella and Quil. Jacob tried to take Mackenzie from Bella, but the baby tightened her grip on Bella's hair and snuggled in closer. Smiling, Bella stood. "I think maybe I should carry her up."

"She likes you." Quil ruffled the soft black hair gently, placed a kiss on Mackenzie's forehead. "I'll wait for you outside, Bella."

Silently, Bella and Jacob climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to the nursery. The walls were a sunny yellow, and the crib was hand carved and decorated in white lace linens. Bella smiled at the abundance of stuffed animals, toys and books. It was obvious Jacob's daughter was adored on the reservation.

"You're mad at me" Bella carefully detangled her hair from Mackenzie's grip, cradled the baby against her breast until her eyes closed and breathing slowed once more, signaling sleep. Slowly, she lowered Mackenzie into the crib, settling her amidst the blankets and letting her fingers drift over the silky skin before efficiently removing her shoes and socks.

"I'm not mad."

"Upset then. About the Cullens wanting to be human."

"All of them?"

"I don't know. If Alice wants it, Jasper would do it. Rose would jump at the chance, which means Emmett would just because he doesn't want to be without her. I don't think Carlisle and Esme would want to, but I can't be sure. And Edward? Well, your guess is as good as mine there."

"And if it's possible? If you find someway to make that happen, what then?"

"You mean, am I going to go running back into his arms forgetting everything that he did, forgetting how badly they hurt me, forgetting everything I feel for you, and everything that's happened since I got back?"

Sufficiently put in his place, Jacob sighed again. "Something like that."

"Jacob, trust me. Alice is my friend. Rosalie and Emmett and Jasper, they were like my siblings. Carlisle and Esme are people that I love dearly, and at one point, I wanted to spend eternity with Edward. But now, now I've realized that what I wanted was a child's dream. Life is a gift, and it's not something that should be wasted. They hurt me, they left me, they abandoned me. And while I understand, while I forgive, that is not something I can just forget. Some part of me will always love Edward, but I'm not in love with him anymore. I don't want that existence anymore. And at some point, if you want this to have even a chance of working, you're going to have to start believing me when I tell you that."

"I do believe you. I just know how it was the last time. They left, you were broken, and I put you back together. Then they came back, and it was like I didn't exist anymore. I handled it then, and not very well, but it's not just me I have to think about now, Bella. I need to know you're not going to go running back to them the second they come back."

Bella slipped her arms around his waist, tipped her head to look up at him. "Jacob Black, I am not going anywhere. I missed you every day that I was gone, and I want to take a chance and see what we have. I want to give us the chance I was too scared to give before. You never left me, you never hurt me. You're right, you did put me back together. And that was the problem. This time, I put myself back together, and spending that time with myself, making myself deal with it, it made me ready to move on. It made me ready to come back to you."

"You really didn't even look for the Cullens?"

"I thought about it. I won't tell you I didn't. But when my life was in danger and I knew I needed help, you were the one I wanted. You are the only one who has never let me down, who has never turned your back on me, even when I deserved it." She let her fingers skate over his face. "I'm ready, Jacob. But you need to be ready too."

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, pulling away before she could respond. "I am. I'll pick you up at five thirty on Tuesday. That'll give me time to shower and change after work. Dress nice."

****

Quil was waiting at her truck, leaning against the driver's door and studying the toe of his show when Bella came out of the house. He grinned when she tossed him her keys, eagerly slid behind the wheel of the Tahoe.

"I've been itching to drive this thing. Traded up from the old truck, hmm?"

"I had to leave it when I left with Edward. Then he got me some flashy sports car, which they left when they left. I traded it in a couple years ago for this baby. It's much more practical."

"And probably brings back memories. You should bring it by the shop, get one of us to take a look at it, make sure everything's running good."

"The shop?"

"Jake didn't tell you? Embry, Jake and I opened an auto shop a few years back. After high school, we went to the tech school in Port Angeles, got an automotive sciences certification and set up shop. We do pretty good. Seth works there, so do Jared and Paul most of the time"

"What about Leah and Sam?"

"Emily opened a restaurant about three years ago. Sam's good with paperwork, so he pretty much manages both places, makes sure we don't go bankrupt. Leah is a personal trainer at the gym in Forks." He looked at her curiously. "What have you been up to, Bella? I know you didn't sit on your ass for ten years."

Bella laughed. "No, no I didn't. I didn't work while I was with the Cullens. They wouldn't hear of it. But after they left, even though they left me plenty of money, I didn't want to live off of their charity. So I donated it. I kept enough for a deposit on a shitty apartment and two months of bills, and got rid of the rest. Then, I worked at a bookstore for a while, and as a waitress. About four years ago, I started writing. I figured I'd always loved books, so why not? I've published a few short stories in magazines, done some freelance work for online blogs, but last year I had a novel published."

"What kind of book?"

"What else? One about vampires. Fiction. Bloody and gory and fun. Nothing too close to the truth because I don't want to get the attention of the Volturi, but it was a blast to write. I've been working on one about werewolves for the past few months. It's due to my agent in January. I'm not a bestselling author by any stretch, but if I'm careful, I can write full time."

"Imagine that. Our Bella, a published author." Quil beamed at her, patted her leg enthusiastically. "I'm proud of you."

Suddenly, his face changed, and he began slowing the truck, rolling down the window to stick his head out. He sniffed the air, a low growl rising in his throat. Bella unbuckled her seatbelt, twisted to look out the back window. When she turned around, a scream tore out of her throat.

Because, in the middle of the road, maybe a hundred yards away, was Victoria. Her red hair hanging halfway down her back, her eyes glowing blood red in the dark, her hands clenched at her sides, her teeth bared in an evil smile. She began walking toward them, her heels clicking ominously on the pavement. Quil was quickly stripping out of his clothes.

"Stay here. No matter what you hear, you stay in this truck. Call Sam and Jacob."

Quil phased and charged the vampire. But Victoria, grabbed him by the throat and tossed him aside, his big body bouncing off the rock before coming to a stop with a sickening crunch. Before Bella could move, Victoria had ripped the door off the truck and dragged her out by her throat.

"Hello, Isabella. I think I'll kill you now."

****

Yay for cliffhangers. If you want to know what happens, leave a review!


	8. A Pack Mentality

Bella struggled against Victoria, but her claws were digging into the fragile skin of Bella's throat. She wrapped both hands around the rock hard wrist, kicked with both feet, desperate to do something to get away. She saw Quil stir, watched him get up, his chocolate brown fur matted with blood where he'd struck the rocks. Victoria was much stronger than she'd been before.

"I've waited for you for a long time. Your mate killed my mate. The Volturi, they said you were with them, but I knew it was only a matter of time before you came back here. I'm surprised to find you human, even more surprised to find you without the Cullen boy, but it's of no matter. Your death will hurt him the way he hurt me."

"James was going to kill me."

"So? We kill humans all the time. It's what vampires do!" she laughed maniacally, ran one fingernail down Bella's neck, her nail slicing skin the whole way. She swiped the blood up with her finger, licked it off, her tongue swirling around her fingertip seductively. "Ooh that's good. I see what he meant about your blood singing. Delicious. I'm going to have fun eating you."

Before she could get to Bella's neck, Quil lunged with a roar that would have terrified even Bella, who knew better than most that the wolves weren't wild animals. He tackled Victoria, causing her to release Bella, who went flying.

She hit the pavement, skidded several feet, pebbles and sand scraping her skin. When she stopped, blood was in her eyes and one of her arms was pinned beneath her body painfully. She wiggled, managed to free her arm and hissed at the pain. She didn't think it was broken, but it was pretty damn close. She fished her phone out of her pocket, fumbled for her contacts list. She'd pushed the button to call Jacob when Victoria was there again, kicking her wrist to send the phone flying over the edge of the cliff.

Before Victoria could touch Bella again, Quil was on her, his teeth tearing into her flesh, his claws digging deep furrows in her arms. Knowing one werewolf was no match for Victoria, Bella forced herself to her knees, then managed to get to her feet. Looking over her shoulder once, she ran for the truck.

The keys were still in the ignition, and Bella slid behind the wheel, wiping blood out of her eyes with one hand, turning the key to start the engine with the other. The fight raged in the road, vampire against wolf. Quil was bleeding, and she heard a yelp as Victoria snapped his leg with one twist. Bella glanced in the rearview mirror, saw Victoria standing over Quil, her teeth bared viciously.

"I'll kill her, Wolf. But first, I think I'll have a taste of your blood. Won't turn you, unfortunately, but you'll die an agonizing death from the poison." She laughed again, swiped her nails across his snout, making him scream. "Amazing what feeding on other vampires can do, isn't it? Not too long ago you'd have stood a chance against me. Not now, not when I've discovered how to be stronger, faster than you ever dreamed I could be."

Bella knew she didn't have much time. She slammed the truck into gear, stomped her foot on the gas and jerked the wheel to turn the truck the right direction. She didn't let off of the gas the whole time, and slammed two tons of metal into Victoria.

The marble flesh of the vampire crashed into the front of the truck, bending the hood, breaking the windshield, causing the airbags to dispense. But it sent Victoria soaring through the air. The force of the impact and the lack of seatbelt forced Bella forward and her face slammed into the steering wheel, knocking her out. The horn was going off, and steam poured from the engine. She didn't see the small gray wolf join the fight.

Victoria had skidded several yards, and it took a few seconds before she had her bearings back to stand up. By that time, Quil's leg had healed, and he raced toward her, snarling and growling. He leaped through the air, fastened his teeth on her arm and tore just as Leah came barreling out of the woods and attached herself to Victoria's leg.

"_**Sam and Embry are on their way. We heard the crash."**_

_** "Bella"**_

_** "Still alive, far as I can tell. Let's get this bitch." **_Leah's teeth ripped through flesh, and she grunted when Victoria took a swipe, managed to knock her off momentarily. She heard the howls of her husband and Sam, smiled as best she could while in wolf form. Ten seconds later, they had gone from two wolves to four, and Victoria didn't stand a chance.

Sam, the giant black wolf, and Embry, dark gray and spotted, joined the fight eagerly. Victoria scratched, she punched, she kicked, she did everything she could to fight them off. And not one of them was left unscathed. Sam took a kick directly to his ribs, and they all heard the crunch of bone. Before the end of it, Leah was knocked unconscious and Embry was sporting deep gashes on his face.

But ultimately, Victoria was reduced to little more than a pile of flesh on the road. Sam finished it when he fastened his powerful jaws on her head and twisted, ripping her head from her shoulders. Angrily, he spat it out, stood quivering over the chunks of white marble that had once been flesh and blood.

****

Bella regained consciousness slowly. Her head was pounding, she couldn't see for the blood in her eyes, and more was pouring from her nose, which she immediately knew was broken. She tried to look out the window, couldn't see through the blood and smoke. She twisted and managed to shove her shoulder into the door hard enough to get it open. She tried to get her feet to move, but couldn't, so she let herself slide out of the truck, hitting the pavement hard.

She groaned at the impact, rolled onto her side until her head stopped spinning. "Quil!"

Almost immediately, he was there, still pulling on his shirt, and just barely limping from the battle. He crouched next to her, his hands on her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Bella, thank God. How bad are you hurt?"

"I don't know. Not bad, I don't think. Dizzy, and I can't breathe."

"We're gonna get you back to the house. You'll be okay."

"Is she dead?"

And suddenly Embry was there too, bending over her and checking her eyes. "You've got a concussion, my dear. Though you're one tough chick, cramming your truck into a vampire. Nicely done."

Bella started to answer, then turned her head at a flash of movement and groaned at the pain it caused her. "Who else?"

"Sam and Leah are here. Took all four of us to take that bitch down."

Hearing his name, Sam jogged over. "Leah's awake. She's pissed she missed the end of the fight. She's heading home to check on Emily and the kids. Bella, Quil is going to take you back to Jake's. Embry and I are going to take care of Victoria, and then we'll get your car towed over to their shop." He started to lope off, then turned. "Make sure to check her for bites."

"She didn't bite me. I'd already be changing by now if she had."

Quil studied her for a moment. "Can you walk?"

Bella nodded, though she wasn't at all sure, and Quil held out a hand, heaving her to her feet effortlessly. She managed to stand for a minute, but the second she tried to take a step her legs gave out and she crumbled. Quil caught her easily, and lifted her in his arms.

"Why don't I just carry you back to the house? Seems much safer this way."

"K." Bella laid her head against his chest and proceeded to pass out. Laughing, Quil took off through the woods as fast as he dared, Bella unconscious in his arms, her long brown hair swinging over his arm in curls that were dotted with leaves and pebbles.

He made it to Jacob's house in less than five minutes. He shifted Bella to free up an arm, pushed open the door. He could hear Jacob in the shower upstairs, so he kicked the door closed and started toward the living room.

"Black! Get your ass down here! Bella's hurt!"

In seconds, Jacob was racing down the stairs, clad in a pair of sweatpants, a towel still slung over his shoulder. He looked at Quil, who was disheveled and dirty, and caked in blood, then at Bella, who was still bleeding and unconscious in his arms.

"What happened?" He scooped Bella up and ran up the stairs, going into his room and depositing her on the bed. He was removing her shirt and pants when Quil got there.

"Victoria. I was driving her home and I smelled a vampire. Then she was in the middle of the road. She was strong man, way stronger than I remember. Said she'd been feeding off other vampires. She nearly had me. She ripped the door off the truck, grabbed Bella. Bella was trying to call you but her phone went over the cliff. I was almost done for, when your girl there got back in the truck and rammed it into Victoria."

Jake looked up from assessing Bella's injuries to gape at that. "She hit Victoria with her truck?"

"She did. Bought me enough time to hold her off until Leah, Sam and Embry got there. I guess they'd been on their way to Sam's house and heard the crash, came running. It took all four of us to take her out. She was conscious there, but passed out when she tried to stand. Embry said she has a concussion."

"Yeah, concussion, broken nose, busted ribs and a couple cuts that probably need stitches." He slid her shoes and socks off, swore when he saw the bruising and swelling of one ankle. "Sprained ankle to boot."

"She hadn't done what she did, Jake, I'd be done for. Bitch about had me when she came barreling at us in that truck. I don't think she ever took her foot off the gas."

"She's always been brave like that. Get me some soap and hot water, a rag too. We've got to get her cleaned up. Unless I take her to the hospital, that's gonna be all I can do."

Quil made his way into the bathroom, started gathering the first aid supplies. "I imagine the others will be over soon. Leah got knocked for a loop too, and Embry got a chunk taken out of his face. I don't think Sam has a rib that isn't broken. It was bad, Jake."

"She's dead, right?"

"Embry and Sam are burning her right now. Then they're going to get Bella's truck over to the shop. I didn't have time to examine it, obviously, but I don't know if we're gonna be able to fix it. She did a number on it."

Jacob laughed ruefully, began cleaning Bella's wounds, grimacing as her bruised and scraped flesh was revealed as the blood and dirt washed away. "One thing about this one, she doesn't do anything halfway." He lifted his head as he heard the door open and heard two sets of footsteps on the stairs. "That would be them now."

Sure enough, Embry and Sam entered the room, both of them a little worse for wear, but laughing and exuberant about having killed Victoria. They stopped just inside the door, taking in Bella's appearance, the bowl of bloody water and the amount of blood still on Bella.

"She'll be fine, Jacob. It's mostly road burn, I think. And that nose." Sam took the rag from Jacob, rinsed it in the sink, then refilled the bowl. "We're lucky we heard that crash. Would have gone differently if we hadn't." he bared his teeth viciously. "I don't like vampires as a rule, but cannibal vampires? Feeding on their own kind? I'm glad that red headed bitch is dead."

At that moment, all four wolves stood up straight, their noses wrinkling at the now all too familiar smell. They heard the door open, and Jacob ran for the door. Before he could get out the door, Alice Cullen was at the top of the stairs. They stood staring at one another for a long moment, Jacob growling in warning, the other three right behind him. Alice smiled nervously.

"I know I've technically just broken the treaty, but you see, I had a vision about Victoria, and then everything went black, and I have no idea what happened to Bella, and she's not answering her phone, and now I can't see her or Victoria at all, and well, treaty or not, Bella's like my sister, and I know it's stupid to come here with the treaty and the Volturi, but I can see them too, and they're not after me right now, and I'll leave if they are because I don't want to get her in trouble, and I know that I told her not to contact me, but that was before Victoria decided to come back here, and I just couldn't wait to find out if she's still alive, or if that stupid girl turned her when that's worse than death, and I'm sorry, Jacob, but I just couldn't wait!"

Jacob couldn't help but laugh at what had to be the world's longest run on sentence. "Victoria's dead, Alice. And Bella's in here. She got banged up pretty bad in the fight, but she's gonna be just fine." And then, he did something he couldn't have ever imagined himself doing. "Come on in. I'm sure she'd love to see you."


	9. Change

"You couldn't have been far from here to have gotten here so fast."

Alice looked up at the sound of Jacob's voice, glanced at Bella, who was sleeping, covered up with blankets and snoring lightly. "I've made a habit of sticking close to Bella over the years. Even though she never knows I'm there, I've never been more than a few hours away from her. At vampire speed, I can always be to her in three hours or less."

"You've been following her?"

"Not always me. But someone from the family. We've always cared about Bella. She's a part of our family."

"You left her."

"We didn't want to leave her. We had no choice. If we had stayed, the Volturi would have found her long ago. I know you're not happy with us, but think of it this way. If we hadn't left, Bella would be a vampire, and you wouldn't be getting your chance."

"Does Edward know you're here?"

"No. None of them do. Once the Volturi took an active interest, we split up. We only contact one another at prearranged times, and just long enough to make sure we're all okay. The Volturi are after Emmett right now, and he's leading them on a long and convoluted trek through the Rockies. From what I can see, he's having a blast and they're miserable." Alice giggled at the thought. "Esme is next. She's currently in Amish country in Pennsylvania learning about cows and having a grand time. Then it's Rose. She's studying art in Paris, so they'll be out of the country for a few days. By the time they get around to coming after me, it'll be time for this to happen."

"That tells me nothing about Edward."

"He's in South America. Jasper is in Forks at a hotel. He's much better, but I still don't think he's ready to be on his own. He's stayed with me the whole time."

Jacob nodded, crossing the room to drop into a chair. "That's right. He still likes to eat people."

"He hasn't actually eaten anyone in years. " Alice shrugged, dismissing the topic. "You have a child now, Jacob?"

"Yeah, a daughter. Mackenzie."

"How does Bella feel about that?"

Jacob lifted an eyebrow. "You don't already know?"

"I told you. She disappears when she's around you. I can hear her in the other room. I assumed she's yours."

"Bella seems to be fine with it. Mackenzie took to her really quick."

"It's odd to think of you with a child. Especially a child not with Bella. I was under the impression that you were in love with her."

"Just because I was head over heels when you left doesn't mean I sat pining for ten years. Mackenzie was the result of a drunken weekend in Seattle with the boys. Her mother overdosed not long after she was born."

"It made you grow up. You're so much more an adult than I ever imagined you would be. You were so emotional, so immature before. But so devoted to Bella. It was hard for her, harder than you can imagine, to leave you. She was in love with you too. She just thought she loved Edward more."

"Edward's your brother. You'd think you'd be more on his side."

"Edward is my brother, and I love him dearly. But Bella is my sister, and I want what is best for her. She and Edward, they loved each other deeply, but it was the love of children, born from drama and fantasy. Her love for you was born out of years of friendship and companionship. Not as fiery, but just as strong."

Jacob leaned back and studied Alice. The vampire was a pixie of a girl, nearly two feet shorter than him. But for some reason, he found himself liking her. It was obvious that she cared for Bella, she'd risked her life to make sure that Bella was safe after her vision. That spoke volumes to him about her loyalties. And without the competition with Edward over Bella, he saw no reason to purposely be nasty without Alice giving him a reason. And after all, Bella loved Alice, and if he wanted a chance with Bella, it was probably a good move to get along with her sister.

"You're welcome to stay on the reservation, Alice. I can't extend the invitation to your whole family, but if you're here, I know you're going to be wherever Bella is, and I want her on the reservation as much as possible."

"That's a generous offer, Jacob, and I imagine I'll take you up on it. Actually, I'm pretty sure I will since my future has gone dark for most of the next few weeks. That tends to happen when werewolves are involved."

"Bella mentioned you think you can't see us because you've never been one?"

"It's a theory. Edward can read your thoughts so I can't imagine it's just that vampires can't affect wolves with their mental powers. And I've never encountered another creature that I could try. I can't see the future of animals, though I think that's because their brains aren't developed enough. They don't understand the concept." She shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. When we were here, most of us periodically had no futures. Eventually I figured out that it was whenever one of you was around."

"Is there anything that can be done to fix that? It would be beneficial if you could see us."

"Nothing that I know of. It's not like you can turn me into one of you. And not like I would let you even if you could. I've never been too fond of dogs."

"Well we've never been too fond of you."

"The Edward and Bella situation didn't help our relations either. Bella is obviously well liked around here."

"I think tonight proved that. Quil almost died protecting her."

"And she nearly died protecting him. The affection runs both ways." Alice shifted in her chair, pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around them. "I miss sleeping."

Jacob barely heard the words, but they made him smile nonetheless. "How did you become a vampire?"

"I don't really remember. I don't remember being human much at all. Just little snippets here and there. I did some research, and what I found out is that I was committed to an asylum because I had premonitions and there was a vampire working there. James, the vampire that came after Bella, was after me and this old vampire turned me to protect me. I just remember waking up as a vampire. That's it."

"You didn't want to be turned?"

"None of us did. Carlisle was the first. He was attacked in the seventeenth century and turned. He actually hunted vampires as a human. This was the last thing he wanted to be. But he knew immediately that he didn't want to hurt people. He's a doctor, it's not what he does. Esme, her story is tragic. She and Carlisle fell in love, but she married someone else. He beat her, and after Esme's baby died, she tried to commit suicide. Carlisle was working at the morgue, and he knew she was almost dead, so he turned her to save her."

Jacob unwillingly felt sympathy start to stir in his gut. "What about Edward?"

"Edward was dying of malaria. It was another situation of Carlisle turning him to save him. It was Edward's mother's death bed request that Carlisle save her son. So he did."

"What about the other three?"

"Rose hates being a vampire. She wants nothing more than to be human and have babies. That's the thing she wants most in life, to be a mother. Her fiancé and his friends got drunk one night, and they beat and raped her. She would have died if Carlisle hadn't found her and changed her. Emmett, well, same sort of story. He was attacked by a bear and Rose found him. She took him to Carlisle and begged for him to change Emmett, so he did. Jasper, he was turned in the Civil War, and used by a vampire to train newborns. He did that for a hundred years or so, then left. He decided he didn't want to feed on humans anymore. Feeling their emotions when they died was destroying him. I knew we were meant to be, so I went and retrieved him and brought him in to the family."

"I had no idea that none of you wanted this."

"Well it doesn't change anything. We're vampires, and will be until someone kills us. And we've learned to enjoy our existence. We're happy being together, being a family."

"You don't wish you could grow old, have children, lay out in the sun and tan?"

"Of course I do. I wish I could remember being human. I wish I could sleep and dream and tan and eat real food. But I can't, and there's nothing that can change that."

"Bella wants to find a way to turn you all human again. She thinks that's what you want. From your letter."

"Jacob, there is not one member of my family that would not go back to being human if it meant we could be in Bella's life again. We love her like she's one of us. There is nothing we wouldn't do for her. But there is no way. Rosalie spent years trying to find one. She hates being a vampire. If there was a way, she'd have found it by now."

Jacob rose when he heard the telltale sounds of Mackenzie starting to cry. "I'll be back as soon as I get her put back down."

Alice perked up, and smiled at him winningly. "May I?"

The very idea of Alice touching his daughter made his skin crawl, but he didn't think Bella would like the insinuation that Alice wasn't trustworthy to be there. After a brief mental battle, he nodded. "Come on then."

"I won't hurt her, you know. Really, Jacob, if the smell of all the blood in this room isn't turning me into a great salivating monster, I don't think holding your little girl is going to do it, either."

"I'm trying, here, Alice. But it's going to take me some time. I'm not comfortable with this whole vampire thing. I can't help it."

"I know. Old habits die hard. But think of it this way," Alice bounced to the door, her whole face lighting up. "If you and Bella get married, you're going to be my brother, and then not only will you have to like us, you'll be related to us!" she squealed at the thought, threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Of course I'll have to get used to the smell of wet dog, but I'm sure I'll adjust to it eventually."

Jacob couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth. "What? You think you smell good to us? Vampires reek. Like sugar coated death."

Alice ignored the barb and darted into the nursery, instantly cooing as she scooped Mackenzie out of the crib. Jacob stiffened as he watched her settle the fussing baby in her arms, relaxed only slightly when she started to sway and hum, her eternal good mood soothing Mackenzie.

"She's gorgeous. She looks just like you."

"Thanks. She might be hungry…"

"Does she need a bottle or food?"

"She hates the bottle. She stopped that three months ago. We'll take her down to the kitchen and I'll make her some oatmeal."

"Pa."

Jacob shook his head at the crystal clear demand. "Grandpa is sleeping, Kenzie, my love. Just like you and I should be." He touched a finger to her nose, led Alice down the stairs. "Can you say hi to Alice? She's Bella's friend."

"Bella!" Mackenzie was instantly wide awake and bouncing in Alice's arms at the mention of her current favorite person. "Kenzie want Bella!"

Alice giggled and bounced the baby inexpertly. "Bella's sleeping, baby girl. But I'll play with you."

"Play! Like play!"

"You have no idea what you've just done."

"I don't sleep, Jacob. It's no skin off my nose if she stays up all night." Alice winced when Mackenzie caught a handful of her short black hair and yanked. Hard.

"Color. Train!"

Alice detangled the little fingers from her hair, smiled brightly. "Whatever you want."

Jacob put a bowl in the microwave, looked at Alice sitting at the table, his daughter in her lap, bouncing her knees so that Mackenzie was squealing and laughing. And in that moment, it was so easy to forget that Alice was what he had been born to kill. In that moment, it was easy to believe that she was nothing more than a woman, a friend of Bella, who was simply playing with a baby. In that moment, everything Jacob had always believed, everything he had wanted to be true about the Cullens, everything he'd thought about them, it all changed.


	10. Meeting

So I hope you are all enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. 10 chapters already, I can hardly believe it. I hope you all enjoyed the appearance of Alice last chapter, and I wanted to address some concerns I'm sure you're having. I realize some of my characterizations are slightly OOC, specifically the issue of Jacob being friendly with Alice. Again, I want to emphasize that ten years have elapsed, and the characters have worked through their issues. They're meeting on an even playing field, with no competitions, no preconceptions, just a blank slate, and without all the drama present in the books, I think Jacob and the Cullens, especially Alice, could be friends. In any case, this is my world, and I'm writing it the way I want it. Hopefully you all like it, and if you don't, please let me know what you think I'm doing wrong, and what you think needs to be done to fix it.

****

Bella woke up just as the sky was lightening to gray. She slowly sat up, holding her head as a meager defense against the pounding pain. Gingerly, she placed her feet on the floor and managed to stand. She nearly toppled when pain shot through her leg, and she realized she'd hurt her ankle in the debacle the night before. Deciding to take stock of her injuries, she stumbled into the bathroom, limping heavily on one foot.

One look in the mirror had her mouth falling open. Bruises, everywhere. She had two black eyes, one cheekbone was tinged purple. Her body was covered in other bruises and scrapes, all of which had been obviously cleaned and covered in ointment. She grabbed the comb from the sink, managed to work the kinks and leaves and dirt from her hair. She winced every time the comb pulled on her hair, turned on the shower to wash off the remnants of pavement and grime.

Fifteen minutes later, freshly washed and clad in a pair of Jacob's sweatpants rolled over five times at the waist, and one of his T shirts that fell to mid thigh, she hobbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she found Billy sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee. He smiled when he saw her, rolled to the counter to pour her a cup.

"Jacob told me you were here. Heard you had a rough night?"

"Victoria. She's dead now. Where is Jake? I thought he'd be here."

"He's taking Mackenzie over to Sue's. He has to go in to work for a few hours today, but Sam called a meeting for seven this morning. He was hoping you would be up to go to it."

"What time is it?"

"Little after six. How're you feeling, Bella? You look like you've seen better mornings."

Bella laughed, dropped into a chair at the table, sipped the coffee. "I've also had worse mornings. But I feel like I want to pull my head off of my shoulders and put it somewhere else, just so it'll stop hurting."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a hell of a hangover."

Bella tried not to laugh, but couldn't resist the giggle that bubbled up in her throat, then immediately regretted in when her head rebelled against the laughter. "I wish it was a hell of a hangover. Then I'd have had some fun last night instead of getting tossed around like a ragdoll." She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw a decidedly female leather jacket hanging from the coat rack by the back door. "Is someone here?"

"Yeah, I guess you got a visitor last night after Quil brought you back. I don't know who, Jacob didn't mention it when he headed out, only said that they'd be back to get you for the meeting if you were up to it."

"I want to go. But I don't have any other clothes."

"I'm sure you can find something of Rachel or Rebecca's. Yours were pretty shredded from being tossed around."

Bella looked up from her coffee when the door opened, smiled as Jacob came in, wearing a leather jacket, snug black t-shirt and worn in jeans. He grinned when he saw that she was awake, bent down to nuzzle her, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head.

"I'm glad you're awake. I was starting to get worried when you still hadn't woken up when I left this morning. If you weren't up when I got back, I was gonna take you to the hospital."

"I have the world's worst headache, and I feel like I got run over by a truck, but other than that, I'm great." She let her hand rest on his hip, leaned her head against his stomach. "I need to thank Quil."

"You'll get a chance in a few minutes. Let me make breakfast real quick, and we'll head over to Sam's."

Bella looked up, a look of confusion on her face. "Since when do you cook?"

Jacob laughed, moving to the stove and taking out a skillet. "I learned. Had to or no one would eat around here." He opened the fridge, took out a dozen eggs. "Scrambled okay?"

"Fine with me. I'm just glad not to have to cook. With Charlie, either I cook, or it's the diner." She laid her head on the table in meager defense against the pounding headache. "Please tell me you have aspirin somewhere in this house."

Billy chuckled and rolled over to a cabinet. After a long minute of rifling through the contents, he produced a bottle of Tylenol. Bella grabbed it eagerly, swallowed three tablets with a giant gulp o coffee. She laid her head back on the table, closed her eyes. Then, without warning, her head shot up, her eyes wide.

"Charlie! He'll be home soon, and I'm not there! He's going to kill me!"

Jacob couldn't stop the laughter. He cocked his head at her, an amused smile lighting up his face. "Bells, you're twenty eight. Charlie doesn't get to tell you where you spend your nights anymore. Call and leave him a message, tell him you stayed here last night."

"Oh, cause that'll be so much better. Ten years of not talking to one another, and two weeks after I get home I'm spending nights with you? That's really going to put my father at ease. Grown woman or not, he'll kill me and try to kill you if he thinks we're sleeping together."

Billy handed her the phone, admonishing his son with a sharp look. "Call Charlie at the station and tell him what happened. Tell him you're fine, but we thought it would be safer if you weren't alone after last night, and that you're going to be spending as much time as you can in La Push so the pack can be closer to you."

Satisfied with Billy's suggestion, Bella dialed.

****

Half an hour later, still dressed in Jacob's clothes, but having added her own shoes and one of Jacob's sweatshirts, Bella walked outside and climbed into Jacob's SUV. He slide behind the wheel and turned the heat up so that she wouldn't freeze on the short drive to Sam's.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?"

"You don't have to boil yourself on my behalf." She slid across the seat to lay her head on his shoulder. "You're plenty warm enough for me."

Jacob slid his arm around her, pulling her in closer. "Good enough for me." He sighed, kissed the side of her head. "You scared me last night. Quil came in holding you, and you were unconscious and covered in blood, and I thought, for a minute, that I was going to lose you."

"I thought we were both going to die. She was so strong, Jake. I totaled my car on her, and it didn't make a dent." She slid her small hand into his much larger one. "I don't want to die. I want to stay here."

"And where do I fit into this, Bells?"

Bella tipped her head up to look at him. "I love you. I've always loved you, I always will love you. And I want us, together, to find out if we can make this work. If we can move past everything that we put each other through, all the hurt feelings, all the lonely nights, and make something that will last. But I need to go slow, to make sure of everything."

"And Edward?"

"A part of me will always love Edward. He was my first love. But I'm not consumed with him anymore. I don't need him. I can't tell you I don't want to see him again, because a part of me does. But a larger part of me hates him for what he did, hates him for what he put me through, and wants to never see him again. But what I know for sure, is that I'm over him, that I don't want to be with him anymore. He was a girl's dream. I'm not a girl anymore."

"I've waited most of my life to hear you say that." He grinned at her, and she knew that the moment was over, that they were on the same page, that they could move forward. "And I want you to know that I'm ready to get to know them. If they come back, I'm ready to give them a chance, to see them as you do." He wiggled his eyebrows, and for a moment, he looked sixteen again. "After all, I got the girl."

Bella was still laughing when Quil jerked open the door of the SUV and swept her into a giant hug, his face alight with happiness to see her. She squealed and wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug as enthusiastically as her aching body would allow. When her feet hit the ground she stepped back and grinned at him.

"Thanks for the rescue last night. Looks like I owe you one."

Embry laughed, playfully punched Quil in the shoulder. "I think you're even, Bella. He'd have been done for if you hadn't gone all monster truck on us. Come on, there's a surprise for you inside."

"I don't like surprises."

Seth slipped an arm around her shoulders, practically bouncing from excitement. "You're going to like this one, I promise."

Intrigued, Bella followed Seth into the house. As soon as she came through the door, she froze. Alice Cullen was sitting at Sam and Emily's kitchen table, laughing with Emily over something and Sam was leaning against the counter, looking completely at ease with the situation. Alice Cullen was in La Push. That meant only one thing. The treaty was broken. Bella's eyes widened and she turned to Jacob.

"How?"

"I saw Victoria attack you. I came as soon as I could. I went straight to Jacob's house." Alice hopped up and scampered across the room to crush Bella in a hug, literally bouncing from excitement. "And they've all been nice enough to allow me to stay on the reservation." She squealed and hugged Bella even tighter. "I am so happy to see you! I've missed you so much! You're so gorgeous, Bella!"

Bella couldn't stop the smile, and her arms somehow were around Alice, returning the embrace. She buried her face in Alice's soft hair, the chill of her skin somehow comforting. "I should hate you."

"I know. But you don't, do you? After all, if I can get along with a pack of dogs, you can forgive me, right?"

"I forgave you a long time ago, Alice. I missed you."

"Well we've got plenty of time to catch up. I'll tell you about everything, and everyone, and answer all your questions. I see shopping in our future! And books. Though I'm not sure why I see so many books yet. I'm sure you'll tell me that. But first, let me fill these guys in. We've been waiting for you to get here so I don't have to tell the story more than once."

Sam cleared his throat. "Okay then. Now that everyone is present and accounted for, let's get this underway. Victoria is dead, obviously, but the problem with that is that she was working with the Volturi."

Alice waved her hand, dismissing the concern. "Don't worry about that. Victoria is supposed to be at the Denali, trying to find Jasper and me. The Volturi are assuming for now that she's there, and unless something changes, when she doesn't check in, they call the Denali, who tell them Victoria never showed. They're suspicious, but since they have no clue where she disappeared at, they continue with the plan they're using now."

"Still, choices can change, and we have to be ready. Constant patrols of the border. We cannot let anyone slip through. No one gets through Forks, no vampire lays eyes on Bella, present company excluded. If Bella isn't on the reservation, Alice, you will be with her at all times. And one of the pack will be stationed at Charlie's at night. We have to consider that he could be a target, and is definitely a target if Bella is at his house. Bella, you'll stay here as much as possible. You're safer here, because all of us work on the reservation, so we can all keep an eye on you, rather than just the person on patrol, or Alice."

Alice nodded to Jacob, accepting his assignment. "I'm glad to protect Bella. It's why I came here. But we have to remember that I can't see a damn thing when I'm around you. Wolves block my sight. I can't see me, I can't see Bella. I can keep an eye on the Volturi, but that's about it."

"It's a risk we're going to have to take. Now tell us how the hell Victoria got so strong."

Alice frowned deeply, sighed. "It's rare, and looked down upon. I think it's a well known fact that vampires live on blood. Be it human or animal, without blood, we cannot survive. Our bodies process the blood we take in, and uses it to run, much like humans use blood. But the blood we take in is mixed with our venom, so it's different in that respect. If a vampire finds another vampire that has recently fed and feeds on them, they take in not only blood, but also venom. The presence of excess venom will increase the natural physical strength of a vampire. It wears off after a few days, but the boost is intense. But it's addicting, which is why it isn't done often, and why it's so taboo. Vampires can easily become completely dependent upon vampire blood, and it's like an addict and human drugs."

"So she did it to be able to beat the pack?"

"I don't know. I can't see her past, Bella. It doesn't work that way. I haven't looked at Victoria very much over the past years. Just after I saw her join the Volturi. Before we left, Victoria intended to create an army of newborn vampires. Those vampires are stronger than older ones because of an excess of human blood still in their systems. If she created any vampires, and showed them to feed on other vampires, they will be even stronger than Victoria was. But I was never able to see who she was working with, so without a name, without a clear vision, I can't find him to find out if she succeeded."

Sam paled noticeably. "So you're telling me we could have an army of vampires stronger than Victoria waiting to come here after Bella?"

"It's a possibility, yes. And if the Volturi finds them, they will use them." Alice lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "I wish I had more to tell you, but right now, that's all I've got." She looked at Jacob. "Oh, and by the way, Mackenzie is going to be teething again. I see Sue being very harried today. But don't worry. I also see me staying up playing peek a boo most of tonight while you patrol."

Bella blinked rapidly. "You met Mackenzie?"

"Oh yes! She's so cute! I watched her while Jacob slept some last night. Though her wardrobe is lacking. Don't worry. I'll fix that problem."

Jacob shrugged when everyone turned to gape at him. "Bella trusts her. That's enough for me. And if we're going to work together, like it or not, we're going to have to treat her like a member of the pack. We can use her. There's no reason not to."

Alice beamed. "I'm glad you feel that way. I know my family has had issues with the Quileute in the past. But I love Bella, and you're her family too, so I'll do everything I can to help all of you. And unrealistic as it may be, I really hope we can get to be friends. I would never hurt any of you, and I promise not to stare while you eat. I know that bugs Bella, and I'll really try, but it's just so fascinating!"

Sam had to laugh then. "Okay, if that's all, most of us need to get to work. Seth, you patrol first, until one, and then Embry can take over until seven, then Leah until one, Jacob until seven, I'll go until one, then Quil, Jared, and Paul. Then it starts over again."

There was a chorus of nods and grumbles, but the meeting broke up quickly. Jacob took Bella's hand, led her outside to the SUV. He leaned against the side, pulling her into him with his hands on her hips.

"I have to go to work for a few hours, see if there's anything that can be done about your truck, and some other cars we've got in. I've got my phone if you need me. I know you'll want to go see Charlie today, let him see you're alive and well, but just take Alice with you. Will you stay at the house tonight?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I'll stay on nights you're patrolling. But on nights you're not, I'm going home. Charlie needs to see me being as normal as I can. With the schedule Sam set, you each take one shift every two days. I'll go get some clothes, see about getting a new phone, get some work done. And I don't think I could shake Alice if I wanted to."

He leaned down to hug her, squeezing as tightly as he could without hurting her. "I don't want to leave you alone. Not after last night. But if I'm going to prove this to you, I have to trust her. I don't want to, but I'm going to. It's different now, Bella, I swear to you it's different. You don't have to choose."

Bella shifted until her mouth was pressed to his in a soft kiss. She framed his face in her tiny hands, letting her fingers play with the locks of hair that fell into his face. "I'm all in, Jacob. We're good. So let's not talk about the past anymore. If we do, we're never going to move forward. And I want to move forward with you."

He kissed her once more, harder that time, and grinned. "I'll see you at home later tonight."

****

Did you like it? Did you hate it? LET ME KNOW!!!!!!!!!! I'm not getting nearly enough reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

Bella collapsed on the couch at Jacob's house, her whole body aching. After the meeting, she and Alice had left for Forks, where they'd spent two hours convincing Charlie that everything was okay. After that, it had been a trip to Port Angeles to get a new cell phone, and of course Alice had insisted on some shopping. So by two in the afternoon, Bella had found herself lugging bags into the spare room at the Blacks' and then being shuffled back into Alice's car for a trip to the grocery store so that she could stock the kitchen. She'd spent five minutes rifling through cabinets and been horrified at the amount of canned, prepackaged and frozen food. It was nearly as bad as Charlie when she wasn't around to cook.

So by five, with Alice humming contentedly over the new clothes she'd bought, Billy at the tribal center for some Elders thing, and beef stew simmering aromatically on the stove, Bella had decided it was a great time for a nap. But as her luck would have it, that was not to be the case. She'd no sooner laid down and closed her eyes when the front door flew open and Sue strode in, Mackenzie on one hip, the car seat and diaper bag on her arm.

"Take her."

Bella lifted an eyebrow as she sat up. "Something wrong, Sue?"

"She's been screaming for Daddy, and Bella and Alice and Pa all day. She won't nap, she won't stay in the play pen, she won't eat. I can't take anymore today."

As if on cue, Mackenzie held out her arms and grinned widely, displaying the few teeth that had already come in. "Bella! Kenzie want Bella!"

Sue dropped the seat and bag, handed the baby to Bella. "Tell Jacob I'm sorry, but I need a break. She's normally so good, but the past few days, I can't get her to settle down. And now with patrols starting, I've got Alicia most of the time. It's more than I can handle, Bella. My kids have been grown for years. I love this one dearly, but I'm not thirty anymore."

Bella nodded, stroking the downy black hair gently. "It's no problem. I'm sure I can handle her. I'm sorry she's been a handful."

Sue shook her head, already heading out the door. "It's not your fault. Not her fault. I knew she'd get to be too much. I just hate to let Jacob down. He's had it so rough, and he works so much, I know it's going to put a strain on him. Tell him I'll help a few hours here and there, but I can't do it full time anymore."

"Sure thing. Would you like to stay for dinner? I made plenty."

"No, thank you. I'm going to take Alicia home and make her something. Having both parents as werewolves makes things difficult. Because when they aren't patrolling, they're working or sleeping. Thanks, Bella. I'm sorry to drop this on you after the night you had."

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Just some bumps and bruises."

Sue nodded, then closed the door behind her. Within seconds, Bella heard the engine of her car, and the sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires. Mackenzie would both her arms around her neck, smiling brightly.

"Kenzie play?"

"Sure, little one. Kenzie play."

Alice poked her head out of the guest room, dashed down the stairs. "Well that was unexpected."

"You didn't see that coming?"

"Spur of the moment decision. And I can't watch everyone as it is. Just not practical." She made a face at Mackenzie, giggled when the baby clapped her hands and demanded more. "Should I take her?"

"You're just dying to go dress her up, aren't you?"

Alice rocked back and forth on her heels, nodding enthusiastically. "I am. I bought her all those pretty clothes, and she's got the most gorgeous hair." She held out her arms. "Come to Auntie Alice. We're going to play dress up!"

Mackenzie willingly went to Alice, chattering nonstop on the trek up the stairs and down the hall to the nursery. Bella couldn't help but tag along, interested to see Alice interact with a child. It intrigued her that Mackenzie didn't seem to be bothered by the coolness of Alice's skin, or the hardness of it.

"I think she likes you."

"I think she does too. I don't know, cause I don't remember, but I think I liked kids when I was human."

"You'd have been a great mother, Alice."

"I know." Unconcerned, Alice opened the closet, began perusing the racks of clothing, Mackenzie bouncing excitedly on her hip. "No use dwelling on it, Bella. I enjoy children when I get the chance to see them. I would love to have some, but it's just not meant to be. Dead bodies can't give birth." She wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't seem quite fair that male vampires can father children, does it?"

"They can?"

"It's rare, but it does happen. A hybrid. Immortal, but they age as a human until adulthood, then stop. Drink blood or eat food, doesn't matter. They have a heartbeat, are warm, and soft, like humans, but tough as vampires. The problem is that the fetus often kills the mother before birth. It's incredibly dangerous for a vampire to impregnate a woman."

Bella perched on the bed. "Learn something new every day. So you've been avoiding the topic all day. How is everyone?"

"Carlisle is working at Boston General. He's head of surgery there. He loves it. Esme is actually running a daycare out of the house, or was until we had to leave. I imagine she'll start it up again when this settles down. Emmett and Rose were in New York. They opened up a night club. It's the perfect thing for them. The party life they both love. Jasper and I have been travelling. Seeing the world. It's quite a lot of fun. We all stayed together, or very close until the Volturi thing. Except for Edward. He's been nomadic for a while."

"What has he been doing, Alice?"

"He went to medical school. He graduated three years ago. Since then, he's been in Africa and South America, treating poor villages. He's found a mate, Bella. They've been together about four years. Her name is Alanna. She was turned by a tracker nearly fifty years ago. She went to school with him, and they're helping a lot of people."

"Edward always wanted to help people. I'm glad he's getting the chance." Bella's voice was choked, but mostly steady. She hadn't thought it would bother her to find out that he had moved on, but it did. Not in the way that she was jealous, or angry at him for finding someone else, but pain that their relationship, their love, really was in the past. As much as she'd logically known that was the case for several years, but being faced with proof, it had taken her off guard.

"He still loves you, Bella. If he could, he'd have been here with you all these years. No matter who he's with now, you will always be the love of his life."

And those words shook her out of it. Because as much as she had loved Edward, hearing that he had found another, made her realize that, truly, she was no longer in love with Edward. That she hadn't been in several years.

"And I still love him. If he hadn't left, he'd be here with me now, but I don't regret the path my life has taken. I think Jacob was right, all those years ago. He is the natural path my life would have taken. It feels easy, and natural, and right. Like we fit."

"You do. You always have. Your love for my brother was intense, it was full of fire, and it swept you off your feet. You were still a child, and you wanted to experience life as one of us. And Bella, we love you so much we were helpless to deny you. You are a part of our family. And we'd have done anything to make you happy. At that point, you would have been happy as a vampire, at least as far as I could see. But the longer I was with you, then the longer we were apart, the more I knew that turning you would be a mistake. You were meant to live. Jacob is not only the natural path, he's the right path. We all know that now."

Bella was silent as that sank in. Then she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Alice, hugging her tightly. Surprised, Alice wiggled one arm out from between their bodies to return the embrace. "Thank you, Alice. For everything."

Alice nodded, squeezed Bella one more time before stepping back. "I'm just happy to be back. Now, go shower, put on that pretty blue dress I got you, and get your cute butt downstairs to have dinner with Jake. Charlie's picked up Billy for the evening, so there's no reason you can't have a date here. I'll take care of the munchkin."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "I'm not wearing a dress."

She wore the dress. Because the more she thought about it, the more Alice was right. She wanted to do something special for Jacob. He'd done so much for her since she'd been back, it was the least she could do for him.

So she showered, taking the time to shave her legs and rub lotion on before drying her hair and leaving it to fall around her shoulder in chestnut waves. And she let Alice do her makeup, simply to help hide the bruises. Alice was a magician with makeup. And because her hair was behaving nicely, and her makeup looked so good, the dress just seemed to fit with it.

It was cerulean blue, and made out of sweater material. It had a deep V neck that exposed only a hint of her almost ample cleavage, and skimmed over the curves she'd spent twenty three years developing. It hit her right above the knee, and she chose to go barefoot so it didn't appear that she was trying to impress him, even though she was.

At ten to six, she left Alice and Mackenzie reading books in the rocking chair in the nursery, a sippie cup of juice and plate filled with mashed potatoes and carrots on the changing table for Mackenzie's dinner. She set the table carefully, slowly carried the bowl of stew over, then set about making a salad and slicing the bread she'd baked earlier in the afternoon.

Her stomach leaped when she heard Jacob's SUV pull up, and she realized she'd been holding her breath when she heard the door close. She wiped her palms on the dress, realized she hadn't gotten anything for them to drink. Moving quickly, she grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet and snagged the bottle of wine Alice had surreptitiously tucked in the cart. If Alice had chosen it, she had no doubt it would be a hit.

Not trusting herself to use the corkscrew, she set the bottle on the table near Jacob's chair and stepped back, clenching her hands behind her back as Jacob opened the kitchen door and trudged in. He shrugged off his coat, revealing an oil stained t-shirt and ripped jeans. His hair was messy, and his hands were dirty from working on cars all day.

The look on his face when he turned around and saw the set table, the candle she'd lit on a whim, and her in a dress was priceless. His eyes travelled over her, taking in the hair, the makeup that nearly managed to hide the bruises, the dress that set off her eyes, and managed to make her look a little less than pale. Squirming, Bella offered a nervous smile.

"Alice made me do it."

Jacob crossed the room and dipped his head to kiss her. "Remind me to thank Alice later." He started to slide his arms around her, changed his mind and straightened. "I need to shower. I don't want to muss you up. I'll be back in five minutes. Everything smells delicious." He paused halfway up the stairs. "Did Sue bring Mackenzie home yet?"

"Yeah, about an hour ago. She's upstairs reading books with Alice."

Jacob was pleased that the thought of Alice watching his daughter no longer made his skin crawl.


	12. Chapter 12

After sticking his head in the nursery and finding Alice softly singing a lullaby to Mackenzie, his daughter sleeping sweetly in her arms, Jacob took the fastest shower in human history. After a desperate look in his closet, he saw clothes laid out of the bed. Betting the pixie vampire was to blame, he shook his head and grumbled half heartedly as he pulled on the plain black boxers, dark jeans and fresh white t shirt. It was almost exactly what he probably would have ended up in himself, but it still annoyed him that Alice was so intuitive she had already pegged his fashion sense.

Foregoing socks or shoes, he made his way back downstairs and found Bella pacing. She was holding a corkscrew in her hand and eyeing a bottle of wine as if it would bite her if she tried to open it. She stopped, then with a huff and almost stomping her foot, she snatched the bottle off the table and set about opening it. Fifteen seconds later, Jacob lunged forward to catch it as she dropped both bottle and corkscrew.

"I'm guessing you're not much of a wine drinker."

"Again. Alice made me do it. She stuck it in the cart when I went to the grocery store." Bella yanked out her chair and sat in it heavily. "I did think I'd grown out of this whole clumsy thing."

Efficiently, Jacob opened the bottle, gracefully poured two glasses. "I haven't seen you trip over your own feet since you've been here. I'd say that's a good indication. What in the world possessed you to do all this?"

"Charlie took Billy to Forks for the game, and Alice doesn't eat, so I was making something simple, and then Sue came by with Mackenzie and Alice was dressing her up, and then she suggested turning this into a kind of date. I know you were planning something for Tuesday night, but you'll be patrolling that night, so I kinda went with it."

"I'm glad you did. Though I get the one am shift, so we can still go out on Tuesday if you want to. It's a lucky thing that while we're phasing, wolves need much less sleep than normal people do." He grabbed a ladle from a drawer, served them both the beef stew. "I'm sure Sue or Dad will watch Mackenzie."

"Sue actually isn't going to be anymore. I guess Mackenzie has been very difficult today. She wanted you, and Billy, and Alice, and me, and she wouldn't sleep, and she wouldn't eat, and she screamed for hours. And with Leah and Embry patrolling now, she has Alicia a lot more, and she doesn't think she can handle a baby full time."

Jacob sighed deeply, took a bite of his food. "This is amazing. I really didn't want to have to ask Dad to watch her all the time while I'm at work. He's doing well, but he has a hard enough time taking care of himself, and she's walking now. He can't get up the stairs to get to her if she gets away from him. And I can't stand the thought of a sitter. I don't want that for her."

Before Bella knew what was happening, her mouth opened and words poured out. "I can watch her."

Jacob looked as surprised as she was at the offer. "You don't have to do that, Bella. It's not your responsibility. It's mine. As much as I appreciate it, I can't ask you to take her on. She's not an easy child."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. And if we're going to be together, she's going to be a part of my life too. It makes sense that I should do it. I work from home anyway with my writing. And so far she likes me, and I've been pretty good with her, I think. And for now at least, Alice is here. And I know you aren't in love with the idea of her being around Mackenzie, but I know Alice, and no way would she ever hurt any human. She'd rather die first."

"I know. Alice and I have talked, Bells. We're good. And if you think you can handle her, I would love for you to take her."

"And I want to come see your shop. I've been here two weeks and I haven't seen it yet. And Emily's restaurant. I need to go there too."

"You will. If you want, come down to the shop tomorrow afternoon. I've been working on your truck, but it's going to take a few days to get it up and running. Have to put in a new radiator, the block is cracked, so I'm rebuilding the engine, grill needs replaced, new hood, new windshield, obviously a new door. Basically, I'm going to have to rebuild the whole thing. I'm getting a good deal on parts though, so because we don't have to pay for labor, it's better to fix it than total it and get something else."

"I appreciate the work, Jake. I know it's a lot for you to do."

"We've got six people working. We're busy, yeah, but it's nothing too bad to get done. Should have it done sometime next week. Until then, you can drive the SUV and I'll take the bike."

"I feel like all I'm doing lately is thanking you." Bella stared down into her bowl. "I wish I was doing more to help."

"You're doing plenty. You're here, your cooking is heavenly, and you're taking a lot off me by helping with Mackenzie. Bella, I'm just glad you're here." He reached across the table and took her hand, rubbing the soft skin with his thumb. "Don't think anything of it. You're a member of the pack. We're a family, and we do whatever is necessary to help each other."

When he tugged on her hand, Bella rose, let him guide her into his lap, pulling her into his chest, pillowing her head in the curve of his neck. She pulled her feet up, and he covered them both with one hand. She let herself relax into his body, taking comfort from his warmth and strength. She wound her arms around him, holding him tightly.

"I'm scared, Jacob."

"I know you are, babe, but I promise you we'll get you through this. Nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it."

"I don't want to change."

"It won't come to that. Bella, I just got you back. I'm not going to let anything take you away from me now. They're not going to win. I won't let them."

"If it happens, I want it to be you. I want you to be the one to kill me."

Horrified, Jacob pulled back from her. "I can't. I won't."

"Jake, I don't want to think about it either, but it's a reality we have to face. I don't want to be your enemy. I couldn't stand having you cringe when you touch me."

"Things are different now. With Alice here, with talking to her, I don't hate them, Bella. I trust Alice with my child. If push comes to shove, and they change you, I will not hate you, you will not be my enemy. You are the one woman I've never been able to get out of my head, and vampire or human, I will always love you."

"So I would live forever, watch you grow old and die? No. I won't do it."

"I just wouldn't stop phasing. As long as I don't stop, I don't age. And with a vampire around, I wouldn't have to stop."

"Jacob, no. You have a daughter. You have to be there for her. You wouldn't be able to watch her grow up and die, or watch her become a wolf just because you can't let go of me."

"Bells, I can't do it."

"For me. Promise me. If you love me, if you want what's best for me, you promise me that if it comes down to it, that it'll be you." She grabbed his face in her hands, kissed him desperately, her fear evident in her taste. "Jake, I don't want to think about it either, but we have to. You're alpha, you have to do what's best for the pack. If I'm part of the pack, that includes me. Promise me you won't let anyone do it but you."

Jacob crushed her to him, his mouth hard and angry on hers. He jerked back, met her eyes, his alight with pain and anger and fear. "Okay. I promise."

Three hours later, after much holding each other after their emotionally draining conversation, Bella was asleep. They'd settled down to watch a movie and wait for Billy to come home. Billy had called to say he'd be spending the night in Forks. Charlie had the next day off and they were going to do some fishing before it got too cold. Jacob had gone to tuck Mackenzie in, offering Alice a sad smile as she slipped out of the room to give him the time he wanted alone with his daughter. Once he'd gone back downstairs, he'd drawn Bella into his lap and held her until she'd fallen asleep, her head on his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist.

With the movie over, he easily lifted Bella in his arms and swiftly carried her up the stairs. Alice came out of the nursery when she heard him, watched as he laid her on his bed and pulled the blanket up over her. Once he was sure she wasn't waking up, he slipped out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Mackenzie is sleeping. And since you go on patrol in a couple hours, I thought I'd take the opportunity to take Jasper hunting. We both need to feed soon. I'll be back before you start your shift."

Jacob nodded, ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "That's fine. I'll let Leah know you'll be around. She's the one on shift right now. You heard everything?"

Alice nodded apologetically. "I can't help it. I tried to sing to drown it out, but I got most of it. I'll talk to her if you'd like."

"Thanks. Does it bother you, that-?"

"That she doesn't want to be what I am?" when he nodded, Alice shook her head. "No. I wanted her to be happy. When I thought she would be happy as one of us, I wanted it for her. I didn't want this for myself, Jacob, let alone to push it onto someone else. If they manage to turn her, I'll help her through the transition. She may feel differently about it once it's been done. This isn't ideal, but I think it would be better than premature death." She patted his arm awkwardly. "I'm going to go now. I haven't fed in days."

"I'll leave at one for my patrol. Is that long enough?"

Alice looked at her watch, nodded. "Four hours should be plenty. And it'll be nice to see Jasper. He isn't used to being alone so much of the time."

"How is he with the eating people thing?"

Alice smiled serenely. "Much better. He hasn't slipped since the unfortunate event with Bella and the paper cut. In another year or so he should be able to go out in public quite safely. I've been desensitizing him to human blood. Taking him to doctor's offices, hospitals, anywhere he can be faced with human blood. He can resist quite nicely."

Jacob sighed. "If you think he can be trusted, he can come onto the reservation. He's in Forks, he's obviously going to be here as long as you are, so the pack should get used to him too. But under no circumstances is he to be left alone with Mackenzie."

Alice bounced excitedly. "Wouldn't dream of it." She tossed her arms around him in a tight hug. "You're not nearly as bad as you used to be, Jacob. I actually think I might like you. And I'm already getting used to your smell."

"And I'm adjusting to yours."

"Good." Alice blurred down the stairs, opened the door. "I'll be back in a couple hours with a very well fed Jasper. Go lay with her. I think you both need it."

Jacob smiled ruefully. "Thought you couldn't see wolves?"

"I don't have to be psychic to know that."

Jacob stood in the hallway for another minute, trying to sort through things in his mind. He could understand her reluctance to become a vampire, but he didn't understand her willingness to die over it. When she'd wanted Edward to turn, he'd been dead-set against it, had feared that they would end up as enemies, that her being turned would break the treaty and he would be ordered to kill her. All of those had been grounded fears at the time. But he was Alpha now. And the one thing he was positive of is that any member of his pack that wanted to kill Bella was going to have to kill him first.

Raking his hand through his hair in frustration, he pushed off the wall and shuffled into his bedroom, stripping down to his boxers. He debated over climbing in bed with Bella for a minute, then shrugged and laid down next to her. He shifted her until she was laying in his arms, and in sleep, she curled her hands around his arm, holding him to her. He couldn't help but smile when, a few seconds later, ice cold feet planted on his calves.

Sleep didn't come for Jacob that night, but he hadn't wanted it to. He was content to lay and hold Bella tight against his body, feeling her against him, smelling her hair, running his fingertips over the soft skin of her face and neck. And when it was time for him to leave, several minutes after he heard Alice return, Bella protested, tightening her grip, her eyes fluttering open.

"Stay with me."

Jacob leaned down, pressed his mouth to hers gently, smiling when her arms snaked around him, trying to pull him back down. "Bella, love, I have to patrol. Go back to sleep. I'll be home before you wake up."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I'll always come home to you, Bells."


	13. Chapter 13

Since the appearance of Alice, and then the soon after addition of Jasper, life settled into somewhat of a routine. The wolves, and Jasper, patrolled constantly. Jasper had been taking the late night patrols, joined periodically by Alice, both so that they could hunt, and because Jasper was more familiar with the patterns of vampires than anyone else. It also freed up the pack a little more to continue with their lives.

Bella was alternating between Charlie's and La Push, spending days that Jacob patrolled in Forks, working on her writing so that she continued to have an income, and days when he wasn't patrolling in La Push, working at the library, reading through all the legends to find out if she could find anything on making vampires human once again.

Alice was with Bella at all times, except of course, on nights she went hunting, and on those nights, Bella spent the night in Jacob's guest room. She had Mackenzie almost every day, and she'd found that while she didn't think she'd ever be getting a Mother of the Year award, she was fairly adept at caring for a one year old. At least, Mackenzie rarely cried, and Bella was able to find some sort of a balance between bath time and coloring and baby food and getting her work done. And Alice, of course, helped as much as she could.

Jasper had loosened up a little in the seven years since she'd seen him, and he no longer seemed to want to eat everyone that crossed his path. Though by mutual agreement between Jasper and Jacob, Jasper never touched Mackenzie. Bella didn't think Jasper posed any danger to the child, but she understood Jacob's reluctance all too well. After all, Jasper had nearly killed her over a paper cut at one point.

The most miraculous thing was the change in the relationship between the two present Cullens and the pack. Things had been tense at first, but they'd opened up to Alice very quickly. After all, no one could resist her bubbly personality and infectious smile for very long. And after a couple weeks, they were fairly at ease with Jasper, and Seth had formed a fast friendship with the vampire, and they could occasionally be found watching movies at times Seth didn't have to be at work and neither were patrolling.

"Bella?"

Bella glanced up from her laptop when Alice appeared in the door. "Hey. She down for her nap?"

"Just got her down. Charlie's going to be coming home early today. He's not feeling well, but it's just a cold." Alice pulled a mug from the cabinet, set about making tea. "We'll give him tea and a sandwich and he'll go up to bed for the rest of the night. He'll feel better tomorrow."

Bella laughed, closed the lid of her computer. "It's nice having a psychic around. No one ever surprises me." She knit her brows as she studied Alice. "Is something wrong?"

Alice turned, her face looking worried. "No, it's just that, Thursday is Thanksgiving."

Bella's eyes shot to the calendar, and she swore under her breath. "It is, isn't it? Damn. I've got to get something put together."

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"I miss my family." Alice sniffled, and Bella knew if she could be crying, she would be. "We always spend the holidays together, and this is the first year we won't be able to. And I can't even talk to them except to let Edward know we're all okay. That way Carlisle doesn't know anything the Volturi could find out."

Bella rose, hugged Alice tightly, offering all the comfort she could. "I know you miss them. And I wish I could do something. I'm sorry my mess is affecting so many other people." She pulled back and offered a smile. "But you're part of my family, and we'll put together a great Thanksgiving." She grabbed a notebook and pen. "Come on, let's make a list of what we need."

"You'd really put on a big party like we always did?"

"I'll even let you decorate."

Alice brightened slightly at the promise of a party, joined Bella at the table. "I'm glad I get to be here with you though."

"And I'm glad you're here, too."

"Are you going to La Push tonight?"

"I wasn't planning on it. Jacob's patrolling today. He gets off at seven, and then he's coming to pick up munchkin."

"So he's coming here?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because I need to tell him about the vision I had about Jane and Demetri."

Bella's heart began pounding and she laid her hands flat on the table. "What is it? Are they coming now? Is Emmett okay? And Rosalie? Oh God, not Esme?"

"Calm down. Everyone's fine. They finally caught up to Emmett, about a week ago. They left Esme last night. They're both just fine. They didn't even confront them. They're just after you, Bella. They don't want to hurt my family. They have too much respect for Carlisle. But there's been a change in plan. Originally, they were going to go after Rosalie, and since she's in France, it would take a while. After that, they would go back to Volterra for Aro to read Rosalie's thoughts since Jane thought she knew something. But Jane has changed her mind, and they're going for Edward."

"What does that mean?"

"Only that we have more time. Edward is in South America right now, and he's leaving them a trail all over the continent. It will take them weeks to catch up to him because he can hear their thoughts. It's going to push the Volturi's arrival back six weeks I think."

"So it's going to be February before it happens."

"I think so, yes. But the Volturi is growing impatient, and they are sending vampires to Forks. They know that's where we were when they met you before, and they want to make sure you're not here. The wolves are going to have to kill them before they're able to report to the Volturi. They know about the pack, they're purposely sending vampires that feed on people, they know there's a risk the scouts may not ever get to Forks to find out if you're here."

"When will they be here?"

"They're sending them one at a time, hoping that the pack might not go after one nomadic vampire. The first will be arriving in two weeks."

Bella felt her stomach clench with fear. "Are they going to succeed?"

"Since I don't see Jane and Demetri getting here, I don't think so. But this damn blind spot when it comes to the pack is getting on my nerves." She sighed, slumping in her chair. "I feel so useless."

"Don't even think that, Alice! Without you, we wouldn't know anything! Now we know who's coming and when they'll be here. You're the reason they're not running themselves ragged patrolling three or four at a time."

"I know. I just want to be able to see everything, like I used to. I had to learn to keep the visions out, to be able to look for people, I'm not used to not being able to find them." She sighed deeply. "Jasper, you and I haven't had futures in weeks. Which means we're with the pack for the near future at least."

Bella rose to make Charlie's sandwich as she heard the cruiser pull up. Alice quickly had the tea done, and met him at the door with it. Fifteen minutes later, with Charlie in bed, and Mackenzie's playpen pulled into his room so he could watch her while they both napped, Alice and Bella were dashing to her truck through the icy November rain, intent on getting things for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thursday morning came more quickly than Bella would have liked. She and Sue and Emily had split up the cooking for Thanksgiving, with Bella getting assigned dessert, Emily turkeys and Sue side dishes. Alice had insisted on decorating the hall, which was where they were all gathering for dinner. Jasper's unexpected but thoughtful contribution was a compilation of traditional Native American music to play in the background. Not exactly Thanksgiving, but appropriate nonetheless.

Jacob was inexplicably excited about Thanksgiving. He'd finagled Bella into spending the night before, claiming his house was much closer than Charlie's for transporting the massive amounts of desserts she was making, though she'd insisted on sleeping in the guest room to his ever-growing displeasure. But all in all, even not being able to hold her while they slept wasn't enough to curb his excitement over their first holiday together.

He woke up at seven on Thanksgiving morning to Mackenzie fussing from the nursery. Immediately awake, he slipped down the hall and scooped her up, nuzzling his still sleepy daughter and calming her almost immediately. Half an hour later, Mackenzie bathed and dressed, he walked downstairs to start coffee for when Bella woke up.

What he found in his kitchen was a battle zone. Flour was everywhere, bowls littered the countertops, different fillings and mixes in them. And in the middle of the kitchen was Alice, her pitch black hair tinged white with flour, some batter on her nose, and her hands on her hips as she surveyed the disaster.

"What the hell happened?"

"Bella was up late baking pies, but she got tired around three and went up to bed, and there're still a few things that need done, so I thought I would try to finish them. Esme is such a good cook, and it looked so easy, I thought I could do it!"

Jacob surveyed the mess with a casual eye, then cringed when he heard the shower start upstairs. "Shit. She's up. What are these supposed to be?"

"That one is supposed to be cheesecake, the one over there was going to be chocolate cake, and the bowl in the sink is supposed to be pumpkin pie."

His eyes followed her wildly swinging arms. That accounted for three of the bowls. "And the other two?"

"Peanut butter fudge and chocolate fudge."

Settling Mackenzie in the swing by the table, he began inspecting the bowls. "You get things cleaned up, I'll see what can be salvaged. With any luck, we can make this look like something edible before she gets down here."

"It was going so good until I tried to make crusts! And I spilled the flour, the butter got too hot in the microwave and the stupid pie crust keeps falling apart. And now it's a disaster!"

"Calm down and get scrubbing." He grabbed a spoon, began tasting. "This stuff isn't half bad, Alice. Without the mess you'd be a good baker. I think we can salvage all this."

Working at a speed no human could have imagined, Jacob doctored the various mixtures and had the crusts rolled out by the time Alice was scrubbing dishes. By the time she had them all put away, a graham cracker crust was being pressed into a cake pan, and the pumpkin pie was in the oven. When the counters were clean and excess ingredients put up, the cheesecake had joined the pumpkin pie, the chocolate cake was in a pan and waiting it's turn, and they both began work on the fudge by the time they heard Bella's footsteps on the stairs.

Bella walked into the kitchen, her hair hanging around her face in wet ropes, dressed in sweatpants and a tank top, dark circles under her eyes from not nearly enough sleep the night before. When she saw Alice and Jacob in the kitchen, and smelled the cooking desserts she lifted one eyebrow suspiciously.

"What are you two up to?"

Jacob clamped a hand over Alice's mouth before she could erupt with an explanation. "Alice thought it would be nice if we helped you finish up this morning, so she put together a few desserts to take. She knew how late you were up last night and wanted you to be able to relax this morning before we go over to Sam and Emily's. Alice, why don't you tell her what you've made?"

"Pumpkin pies and chocolate cake and cheesecake and two types of fudge. I think with the half dozen pies you made last night and all those cookies that it'll be enough for a pack of wolves."

Jacob perked up. "Cookies?"

"I made chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, sugar and snickerdoodle. Four dozen of each."

Quite seriously, Jacob took her by the shoulders, turned her to look at him. "Have I told you that I love you?"

"I'm taking it one of those cookies is your favorite?"

"Snickerdoodle cookies make me into a mountain of sputtering mush."

Bella smiled brightly, but pulled away to go to the coffee pot. "Go on you two, shoo. I need to get breakfast made, because two of the three people eating here aren't going to be able to wait until two this afternoon. And Alice?"

Alice turned at the door, her face betraying her guilt. "Yes, Bella?"

"I think a shower is in order for you."

Jacob dragged Alice out of the room, and had barely gotten her out of sight before the vampire launched herself at him, hugging him tightly and peppering his face with kisses. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Laughing, Jacob returned the hug, no longer bothered by her cool flesh or the smell coming off of her. "Don't mention it. What're friends for?"

Suddenly, Alice stiffened and gripped her head, screaming in pain. Swiftly, Jacob had her laying on the couch, and Bella dashed in from the other room, concern filling her eyes. Alice writhed for several minutes, her small body arching off the couch, her hands digging furrows in the cushions. Neither Bella or Jacob noticed when Jasper burst through the door until he started sending out waves of calm. They seemed to work, and slowly, Alice stopped screaming. Jasper lifted her head, pulled her into his arms, still waving comfort.

"What is it, love? What's happened? What did you see?"

Finally able to speak, Alice pulled out of his embrace, her eyes seeking out Jacob's. "I saw you."

Oooh, cliffhanger! At least a little bit of one. Let me know what you think! REVIEW!


	14. Chapter 14

"What do you mean you can see me?" Jacob crouched down so he was at Alice's level as she struggled to sit up without Jasper's help.

"It's like I broke through a wall. I can see your future. My future isn't black anymore, neither is Bella's. I can see the pack!"

Bella sat down heavily on the couch. "How?"

"I don't know. I think, if I had to guess, that it's because I've been bonding with them. That we've progressed past the enemy thing. Jacob called me his friend, and it was like a light went on and as soon as I realized that he was my friend too, I got flooded with the pack in my head. It was overwhelming at first."

Jasper stroked her hair, soothing her. "And now? Does it still hurt?"

"No. Or it's ebbing at least. I think it was just the initial burst that made it hurt so bad."

"Can you see everyone?"

Alice nodded, biting her lip thoughtfully. "I think so. It's still muddled some, but it's getting clearer. Give me a few hours and I shouldn't have a problem."

Bella grinned, hugged Alice tightly. "This is great! Now we don't have to worry about anything! There's nothing coming at us that you can't see! This is a great advantage over the Volturi."

Alice nodded, still holding her head. "I'm very pleased about this development. But I don't remember ever having had a headache." She rubbed her temples gingerly. "I can't say I care for it."

Jasper rubbed her shoulders gently. "I'll take you hunting. Some food will make you feel better." He tugged her to her feet, slipped an arm around her. "I'll have her back before your dinner, Bella. But she hasn't fed in a couple days anyway."

Alice shrugged out of Jasper's embrace, took Bella's hand. "I just want to talk to you for a minute first. Alone."

Once Jacob had taken Jasper out to the garage where they could mutter about an engine together, Alice patted the couch, sat down next to Bella. She leaned back, stretching one of her arms across the back of the couch, crossing her legs casually.

"Bella."

Bella lifted her eyebrows. "Alice."

"You've been here a month."

"Yeah, so?"

"You haven't slept with him yet!" Alice's voice dropped to a stage whisper, and the shock laced through her words made Bella giggle.

"Alice! Things with Jacob are complicated. I'm not even sure what we are yet."

"He's completely in love with you. A blind man could see it. Why haven't you?"

Bella squirmed. "I don't want to tell you."

"I'm your sister! There isn't a thing in this whole world that you couldn't tell me! So spill it, Bella. Why have you not consummated your relationship with the man I think you're going to spend the rest of your life with?"

Bella took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "Because I've never done it before."

Alice was shocked. "I never saw, but then I thought, because I only looked periodically to make sure you were okay. Never?"

"Never."

"Why in hell's name not?!"

"Well Edward didn't ever want to, and then you left, and I was a mess for years, and doing that with anyone else just seemed completely wrong, and then I was twenty four, and who believes you're still a virgin at that age? And men weren't very interested in me anyway. So every time I went on a date, I would always think, is this the person I want to have take my virginity? And the answer was always no, so I never went out with them again."

"This is unacceptable. Bella! You're twenty eight years old!"

"I know, I know. I don't like it. It wasn't something I ever wanted to do. I didn't decide to be frigid on purpose! It just sort of happened."

"So when you're with Jacob and you think, is this the person you want to have take your virginity, is the answer still no?"

Bella slowly shook her head. "No. It feels right. I want to, and I know he would jump at the chance. But I have no idea how to bring it up, or how to tell him what I want, and that I haven't done anything with anyone before. We haven't even talked about it yet. He hasn't tried anything. It's patrol, and work, and Mackenzie, and sleeping, and we've only been on one date. And all we've done is kiss. I swear it's like we've been married twenty years and can't find time to talk to each other, only we're barely dating."

Alice sighed. "Okay, we've got a lot of work to do. But that's okay. I can take care of it. We'll figure it out." She stood, patted Bella's head. "I'm going to go eat. I'll be back by noon."

At one-thirty, Bella, dressed in stone gray slacks, a ruby red sweater and heeled boots, Mackenzie chattering excitedly on one hip, entered the hall and found Emily setting up platters of turkey and Sue arranging a dozen bowls of side dishes. Jacob entered behind her, carrying a box filled with pies. Alice and Jasper followed, also loaded down with desserts.

Emily rushed over, wrapping her arms around Bella and Mackenzie. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here. We haven't seen you in over a week!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been so swamped."

Jacob plopped the box on the counter. "Where's Sam?"

"Hello, Jacob. It's nice to see you. I'm fine, thanks for asking. Baby's due in three weeks, but the doctor thinks I could go anytime now."

Jacob kissed Emily loudly, grinned down at her. "You look beautiful, Mama. Now, point me in the direction of your husband."

"Pack business?"

"Good news for once."

Sam walked in then, Maggie's hand securely in his, her hair plaited into two French braids and wearing a pale pink dress trimmed in white lace. "So lay it on me. What's this business?"

Unable to contain herself, Alice blurred over to him, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I can see you now. All of you."

"I see you too, Alice. I wasn't aware that had been an issue."

"No, silly! Your futures. I can see your futures. This morning it started happening, and now it's crystal clear. No more blind spot."

"How?"

"Alice thinks it's because we've moved from being enemies into being friends. Now that we're not at war with one another, that we're opening up to each other, that we're getting along, there's no reason for her to not be able to see us, so now she can."

"So the battle?"

Alice shook her head. "It's too far out, there are too many variables. It goes somewhat differently every time I look at it. I can see the future for several months, but anything further than a week or two is blurry. The further out, the blurrier."

Sam nodded. "Well you'll keep us up to date, make sure we know everything we need to know."

"Of course. Now that I can see you, I can make sure of when you're going to encountering the rogue vampires. I get to know a ton more now, important things."

Bella looked up from laying out pies when Jacob slipped his arms around her. She smiled, turning in his arms to face him. "Does this mean we can relax the patrolling a little?"

"Probably not. We're each taking one shift every other day. That's something that's doable. What it does mean if we have a bigger advantage than we did yesterday." He backed her against the counter, his hands sliding down so that his fingers dipped inside the pockets of her slacks. "Things'll ease up even more now that Collin and Brady are back."

"Good." She looked over her should as Embry and Leah walked in, Alicia perched on her father's shoulders. "I should finish getting this set up. Everyone's getting here."

"They can wait one minute." He dipped his head so that his lips were brushing against her ear. "Tonight, I want you to stay with me. I don't have to patrol tonight, and I want to sleep holding you."

Bella's stomach lurched, filled with butterflies. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I don't want us to get carried away."

"We won't. Sleeping only. You let me come in and hold you before you left, Bells. Now that we're together, I think I should get to at least do everything you let me do then."

Slowly, Bella nodded. "Okay."

"You know we need to talk."

"I know." She leaned her forehead against his chest. "We have to figure out what we're doing. Get on the same page."

"It's not going to be easy."

"I know. But we have to do it."

Jacob looked across the room to where Jasper was chatting with Seth and Alice was letting Maggie and Alicia play with her hair. "I cannot believe I'm going to say this, but do you think Alice might take Mackenzie for a night so we can talk uninterrupted?"

"I'm sure she would. But are you sure you're okay with that? And what about Billy?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but Billy and Sue have gotten pretty close lately. He's been spending some nights at her house."

Bella's mouth fell open. "Your Dad and Sue? Since when?"

"A few months. If it weren't for Mackenzie, I bet they'd have moved in together already."

Alice was suddenly next to them, having over heard the conversation. "They'll announce their engagement next week. And I'd love to take her for a night. Saturday night. I'll give her too much sugar and we'll stay up all night playing." She giggled. "It'll annoy Jasper to no end. Fun."

Any further conversation was cut short by the arrival of Paul and Rachel and Cameron and Damon, follow shortly by Jared and Kim, Jared holding Alex in one arm and Andrew in the other, both grinning wildly. Cameron and Damon came barreling for their uncle, and Jacob swept them up obligingly, stopping to kiss his very pregnant sister.

Embry and Quil flanked Bella, each sliding an arm around her. Bella looked between them, lifting her eyebrows. "Can I help you?"

Embry shrugged. "So I was phased with Jacob the other day, and I couldn't help but notice that something is missing between you two."

Bella was shaking her head immediately. "Oh no. I am not talking about sex with the two of you."

Quil chuckled. "Chill out. Don't wanna know. What we want to know is what your plan is for when this is over. Are you going to go back to Phoenix, or are you going to stay here?"

"Because if you're going to go back to Phoenix, we'd rather you keep holding out. We love ya, Bella, but he's terrified you're going to leave again, and we can't bring him through that again."

Bella smiled, took one of their hands in each of hers. "Boys. I really appreciate the concern, though Jake would kill you if he knew. But I promise, if he wants me, I'm not going anywhere. I'm home. I'm here to stay, and he's going to have to ask me to leave to get rid of me."

"And I know it's probably going to make you mad, but with Alice and Jasper here, we all know there's a good possibility that the rest might not be too far behind, and that would include Edward. What if he wants to rekindle things between the two of you?"

Bella sighed, shook her head. "Not mad. It's a valid question. Edward was a huge part of my life for a long time. But he's my past, he's a beautiful memory. Jacob, La Push, all of you? That's my future."

Embry grinned widely, enveloped Bella in a hug, lifting her off the floor and twirling her around in a circle. When he set her back down, the grin had turned rakish. "So, what d'ya say you leave Jacob and I divorce the bitchy werewolf and we run off together?"

Bella laughed, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a resounding kiss on the cheek. "Oh Embry, I'd love to, but really, I don't want to die before I turn thirty!"

Four turkeys, twenty pounds of mashed potatoes and nine pies later, dinner was over. And it had been a rousing success. It was loud, it was raucous, there were several children racing around, Leah and Embry still weren't speaking to each other very much, and Emily was half convinced that she was having some contractions, which had Sam on edge. But all in all, it had been something that they had all needed. A reminder that even though what they were going through was stressful, and even though they had to be on edge about the vampires coming, life couldn't come to a screeching halt.

And for the first time in a long time, sitting between Charlie and Jacob, with Mackenzie in her lap, and Seth sitting across from her, Bella felt like she was part of a family again. Like she had been accepted completely, and that everything might really be okay. And as she looked around the room, to where Jasper was using his mind to soothe Sam's raw nerves, and where Alice and Rachel were giggling over the baby kicking, even where Leah was tying Alicia's shoes and for once looked at peace, she was happy. Completely, unabashedly happy.

Sensing that something was going on, Jacob nudged her with his leg. "What's up?"

Bella shook her head, leaning against his shoulder. "I was just thinking about what a dysfunctional family we are. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd see Jasper and Sam getting along, or Alice coaching Rachel on some new Lamaze techniques. It's mind boggling."

Jacob cast a look around the room, smiling softly. "Yeah, it is. But I think you pegged it. We may be dysfunctional, but for better or worse, everyone in this room is part of our family." He shook his head ruefully. "Even the vampires."

Bella looked up at him, then before he could react, she had darted forward and kissed him heatedly. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For this. For everything."

Charlie cleared his throat next to her. "Uh, Bells?"

Bella twisted in her chair, grinned at her father. "Yeah, Dad?"

Charlie coughed uncomfortably, squirmed a bit. "Uhh, I know it's really none of my business, and you're a grown woman and all, but I have to ask. What was that?"

Jacob leaned around Bella chuckling. "It may be a late start, Charlie. I know you and Dad were gunnin' for it years ago, but seems like we've finally gotten our heads on straight enough to know that this is where we belong."

Bella nodded, reaching for her father's hand. "Took me ten years to get there. But I finally realized that being with Jacob? That's the way it should be. It's right. So we're trying to figure things out. See if we can make it work."

Charlie nodded, went back to his pumpkin pie with a small smile on his mouth. "About damn time."


	15. Chapter 15

So here we go, Chapter 15, and "the talk". I've been looking forward to writing this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it. Let me know if you do, let me know if you don't.

Bella sat in the rocking chair, Mackenzie laying heavily against her chest, humming a wordless song as she rocked, one arm supporting Mackenzie's bottom, the other hand gently patting her back. One little hand was curled in her hair, the other resting lightly on her breast in that way small children had a habit of doing.

She looked up when she sensed movement at the door, smiled softly at Jacob. He leaned against the door frame, filling the entire door with his tall frame. "Alice and Jasper are back from hunting. You ready to pass her off to Auntie Alice?"

"She's out like a light. I packed her an overnight bag with everything they'll need for her for tonight."

"And I smell dinner downstairs. Amazing as always." He retrieved the bag sitting by the closet. "You're doing too much, Bella."

"Part of the joys of working from home. I can keep things going pretty well. And Alice is a huge help." She stood, murmuring softly when Mackenzie stirred at the movement. "I've got you, little one."

Mackenzie shifted sleepily, pressing her tiny face into Bella's neck. "No go Mama. Kenzie sweepy."

Both froze at that declaration, Bella's eyes filling with tears immediately. "Oh sweetheart, it's Bella."

"Bella. Mama. Love."

Bella felt her heart swell to the point of bursting, and her eyes flew to Jacob's. His face wore as much shock as hers did, and he reached for her, drawing them both into his arms, engulfing them into his heat and strength.

"I should get her to Alice." Bella sniffed, her tears soaking into his shirt. "This is obviously one more thing on our list of things to talk about tonight."

Jacob nodded, stepped back and easily lifted Mackenzie from her arms, snagging the bag with one hand as he swiftly went downstairs, passing his daughter into the cool safety of Alice Cullen's arms. She settled the baby against her chest, Mackenzie immediately at ease there and falling back into sleep quickly. Alice smiled brightly, excited about her first over night babysitting experience.

"I know you two have a lot to talk about, and I heard what just went on, and I didn't see it coming, but you need to know that she hasn't done anything to encourage that. She wouldn't."

"I know. It wouldn't even occur to her." He turned to Jasper. "You're fed?"

Jasper nodded. "Very well, thank you."

"This is a huge gesture on my part. I trust you won't do anything to prove me wrong?"

"I know my behavior in the past hasn't given you much reason to trust me, but I promise you, Jacob, Mackenzie will come to no harm so long as there is life in my body, least of all by my hand."

Alice leaned up, kissed his cheek. "I already know you will call nine times before tomorrow evening when we bring her back. You have our numbers, and we'll not leave the room except when I decide she needs ice cream tomorrow afternoon and a trip to the park. It's going to be very cloudy, so we can go out just fine."

"Thanks, Alice."

She nodded, already backing out the door. "Believe me, this is my pleasure. Rosalie would be so jealous if she were here. Go on, I have a feeling Bella needs you right now. I'm quite sure she's very emotional."

Jacob watched as Alice strapped Mackenzie into the car seat and Jasper pulled out of the driveway. Vampires in La Push. He'd never imagined he'd see the day that leeches were welcome on their sacred ground, let alone the day he would trust two of them to take his child overnight. But as he watched them drive away, he felt no fear, only the faint tugging at his heart from knowing how much he would miss her, even though he knew he needed the time with Bella.

He turned to go back upstairs, found Bella coming down them, tears streaming down her face. He didn't say a word, just opened his arms, letting her walk into them. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him as she sobbed as if her heart were breaking. He scooped her up, effortlessly carrying her to the couch and sitting down, cradling her in his arms.

"Oh Bells. Talk to me, baby. Tell me what's wrong."

"She called- and I never thought- and I didn't expect." She took a deep breath so that she could make herself make sense. "It just meant so much when she called me Mama. I never expected it, and I never tried to get her to, and we've certainly not talked about it. And I don't know what to feel, Jacob!"

"Bella, did it upset you, what she said?"

Bella shook her head, wiping her eyes with her hands. "No. I love her. These past weeks, with her, being around her all the time. It made me realize that I want kids, eventually, of my own. That maybe I wouldn't be a terrible mother. I never thought I'd be capable of caring for someone else. I can barely take care of myself. But now I think maybe I can do it."

"You'd be a wonderful mother. I've always known that. I just never thought you'd give yourself the chance, with you wanting to be a vampire and all."

"Did it upset you?"

"No, it surprised the hell out of me, but I'm not mad about it. Bells, I think I've made it clear that I want you in my life. That my feelings for you haven't changed. I spent ten years trying to make them change, but the second you came back here, it all came back to me." He wiped her smudged makeup with his thumb, gently stroking her skin. "Mackenzie is my life now. She's my whole world. And if you want to be a part of that, then she has to be part of your life too."

"Jake, she's your daughter, and I would love her simply because she's a part of you. And I will take whatever role in her life that you want me to." She slipped her hands into his, lifting her eyes to meet his. "I'm not leaving. You asked me that when I first got here, and I told you I didn't know. I know now. I'm not going anywhere. If you want to get rid of me, you're going to have to ask me to leave. I'm home. And I'm not going anywhere."

"Bella." Jacob leaned forward, braced his forehead against hers. "That's not good enough. Just being here. That's not enough for me. I want you to be with me."

"I want that too." She smiled. "I'm with you, Jacob. I told you before that I'm all in. I mean it. I'm here, no matter what. But I'm also scared."

"Scared of what?"

"What if you imprint?"

"I won't."

"You can't be sure of that. You could imprint at any time." She sighed deeply, lowered her face to press it into his neck. "It scares me to think that I feel so much for you, and I know you feel so much for me, and it could all be taken away in a heartbeat because you take one look at some random woman and the wolf wants her."

"No, Bella, I know I won't imprint. Imprinting is about your soul recognizing its counterpart, and about finding someone to mate with that will likely help pass on the wolf gene. Before I phased, I knew it was you. I don't think I can imprint on anyone else, because call it what you want, I was yours long before I phased. I think I've always known it was you. Even before you moved back here." He smiled, cupping her face in his hands and lifting it so that he could look into her eyes. "Everyone knew it but you, Bells. It's always been you. For my whole life. And as much as I struggled against it, as hard as I tried to let you go, I couldn't step back from you anymore than any of the others could leave an imprint."

"But you didn't imprint on me, Jacob."

"Not after I phased. I think I imprinted on you the second I saw you. Because that's how long I've been in love with you." He let his hands slip down to rest on her shoulders, gently rubbing her flesh. "And with Mackenzie, I think we should let her decide. I know she's a baby, but if you're going to be here, and she doesn't even remember Megan, I mean she was only weeks old when her biological mother died. So unless you're uncomfortable with it, let's let her decide what to call you."

"What about the rest of the pack? If Leah hears that, she might rip out my throat just on principal. And after everything I put you all through, I can't say I blame her for being so suspicious."

"I'll handle them. Most of them will think it's great. And Charlie's already been calling himself Grandpa Charlie to her. He'll be thrilled."

Slowly, Bella nodded. "I just want you to be comfortable with whatever she calls me. I know it bugged you that Alice refers to herself as Auntie Alice, and I don't want to do anything that will upset you. She's your daughter."

"Yeah, she is. But you're the one I want to be with, which means, for better or worse, we're a family. And if that means Alice is an Auntie, it's fine with me. I'm getting fond of the pixie vampire anyway."

"This feels so fast, and yet, like it's taken a lifetime."

"That's because it is fast, and it has taken a lifetime." He kissed her gently, letting his tongue roam through her mouth. "So where do we go from here?"

Bella shook her head. "I have no idea. But I know we'll go there together. I feel like we've jumped into this headfirst. I'm staying here half my time, we have to do almost everything together because of the Volturi. I don't want us to rush into this. I want to get it right."

"Does it feel right to you?"

"Yeah. It does." She pulled her legs up to sit cross legged on the couch, leaning over to brace her arms on her knees. "It feels right." She smiled softly. "All those years ago you told me that you were the natural path my life would have taken in a world without magic and monsters. Well my life is filled with magic and monsters, and it may have taken me a decade too long, but I choose you. You're still the natural path for my life. Being with you is easy, it's right, it's natural. And I know it's fast, but it's almost like you're a natural extension of me."

Without a word, Jacob drew her into his arms. "Bells, baby, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that. And what you've just described? That's imprinting. That's how it's supposed to feel. Like the world is brighter together and it would be shades of gray without the other person. I've always known we were meant to be, Bella, and I can't guarantee you that I imprinted on you in the same way that the other guys did, because they never had a relationship like ours before. But I promise you that I know beyond a doubt that I can never love anyone like I love you. That there won't ever be anyone else for me."

Bella twined their fingers, tears pooling in her eyes once again. "I know. The way I feel, the way I know you feel, I just can't believe that there's anything more than that." She sighed. "Jake? There's something else we need to talk about."

"Well that's why we're here tonight. To clear the air. Talk about everything we need to talk about. Lay it on me."

"We need to talk about me turning."

"I think we've talked that to death."

"Alice spoke to me about it."

"And?"

"I don't want to think about it, I don't want to be that. I want life. But Alice told me that asking you to kill me is just being selfish. That I should think about what it would do to the people who love me to watch me be torn to pieces. And she's right. As much as I do not want to be that, it is selfish to ask you to end it for me. To ask you to watch me die in front of you. So if you think that you would still want to be with me if I were to be turned, if you wouldn't hate me, or be disgusted by me, I'll retract my request to be killed if I'm bit."

And in that instant, it felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of Jacob's shoulders. He drew her into his chest, crushing her smaller body to his, surrounding her with heat and strength and love until it seeped into every pore of her being. She sighed in contentment, cuddled in as close as she could.

"Okay, so we took tonight to talk. Is there anything else that we need to talk about before we go eat?"

Bella squirmed uneasily, nodded. "Yeah, there's one more thing that I can think of."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"We need to discuss sex."

Jacob paled at that, and stiffened. "That is about the last thing I expected to hear come out of your mouth. What about it?"

"If we're together, sex is something that's going to have to be discussed eventually. And since we're getting everything else figured out tonight, we'd might as well go ahead and discuss that while we're at it."

"Bells, I think that's something that should happen when we're both ready for it to happen. I don't want to schedule it in or say it's going to be after a certain amount of time, or a certain number of dates."

"No, that's not what I meant. I want that with you, when it's right. But there's something that I think you need to know, about me and sex."

Instantly concerned, Jacob pulled back to look at her fully. "Are you okay? That jackass didn't make you sick? Did he hurt you?"

"No, no, none of that. I'm perfectly healthy, and Edward never hurt me. Actually, Edward never did anything to me. Jake, what I wanted to tell you is that I've never been with anyone before."

"What? Why?"

"Because Edward wouldn't. He didn't want to have sex with me, and then after he left me, I was heartbroken, and then I tried to date, but no one ever seemed like the right person to get naked with, especially not for the first time ever."

"You've never- you're a-was he out of his fucking mind?"

Bella laughed at the shock laced in Jacob's voice. "He was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep from eating me during sex."

Jacob leaned over, nipped her lower lip sharply in his teeth. "Believe me, baby, I would love to eat you during sex, but not in the same way that Edward meant when he said it."

A slow heat pooled in Bella's stomach at the way his voice lowered and deepened with the almost dirty words. She laid her hands on his neck. "So I just want it to be right. I want you to be the first. It feels right, it feels like it is the way it should be. But I have no idea what to do, or if I'll be any good at it, and I have to admit I'm nervous about the whole prospect of getting naked and horizontal with anyone, even you."

"Bells, I'm not going to push you. I'm not going to try and hurry you. It'll happen when it's meant to happen. It'll be special between us. I'm not going to do anything to make you uncomfortable." He rubbed her arms gently. "I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough heavy talk for one night. I think we've gotten everything figured out."

"Come on then, dinner should be ready, and I know I'm starving, so I can only imagine how hungry you are."

"And how about after we eat, we go into Port Angeles, catch a movie, during which we'll make out and have no clue what's going on, and afterward we can go to the bookstore you like and get coffee and dessert at that coffee shop next door to it?"

Bella grinned as she pulled the pan filled with roast, potatoes and carrots from the oven. "Sounds suspiciously like a date to me."

"That's because it is a date. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds like a fabulous idea."

So there you have it, 15 chapters done. I know there wasn't any action here, but I think it was a needed chapter, and I think it was sweet. So I'm happy with it, even though I know many of you will have found it boring. Let me know either way.


	16. Chapter 16

"Bella, honey, wake up."

Bella groaned and rolled over, opening her eyes slowly. "What's up?" she squinted at the clock. "Jake, seriously, it's six in the morning. Mac won't be up for another hour and a half."

"I need a favor. Sam just called. Emily isn't feeling too good today, and he wanted to know if you'd mind going over there and staying with her today. Alice is already getting Mackenzie ready to go."

She sat up, sleepily wiping locks of hair from her face. "Sure. Just let me grab a shower. What's wrong with Emily?"

"Just some back aches and a little nausea. With her due date two weeks away, he's just overly worried about things." He kissed her forehead gently, stood. "I've got to get into the shop. We've got a really busy day today. Jasper's taking the first shift today, then Leah, so I've got all the guys in at the shop except for Seth, and he's helping Sam at the restaurant."

"Home for dinner?"

"I'll be at Charlie's by six." He kissed her chastely. "Be careful, and call me if you need anything."

Throwing the quilt to the side, Bella slipped from the bed and went about gathering clothes to go take a shower. "Love you."

Jacob didn't think he would ever get sick of hearing her say that. "I love you too." He paused at the door. "I was thinking we'd go get a tree tomorrow night. Christmas is next week. Starting to feel like it too, we got quite a bit of snow last night."

"Snow in Washington. Who'd have ever thought?" She smiled ruefully, turned on the water, picked up her toothbrush. "I'm up, I'm not going back to sleep, I promise. So get out of here and get to work."

"And here I was hoping you'd ask me to wash your back."

Bella lifted an eyebrow in invitation, jerked her head toward the shower stall. "Come on in."

Jacob laughed, pulled the door closed behind him. "Maybe next time, Casanova."

Bella managed to wait until she heard his SUV start before the frustrated scream worked it's way up from her throat. But just barely.

Twenty minutes later, her hair in a braid, wearing jeans and a sweater, Bella stomped down the stairs and ignored the cup of coffee and two pieces of toast Alice had laid out. Instead, she pulled on her coat, grabbed the car seat and stormed out to her truck, strapping in the car seat and then returning for the diaper bag and Mackenzie. Sensing that something was very wrong, Alice wisely remained silent, sliding gracefully into the passenger's seat. Without a word, Bella strapped Mackenzie into the car seat, tossed the bag into the floor board and started the engine, not bothering to let it warm up before tearing out of the driveway.

When they got to Emily's house, for once Emily wasn't rushing to meet them at the door. Instead, she was laying on the couch under a thick blanket with Sam fussing over her. He looked up when they entered, letting out a great sigh.

"Bella. Thanks for coming. I'm sorry to spring this on you, but one of us has to go into work, and I don't want her staying alone. Not with the baby so close to coming." His eyes shifted to where Alice was coming in with the diaper bag over one shoulder and Mackenzie sleeping against her chest. "Hey Alice."

"Sam." She smiled softly, took the sleeping baby down the hall to their spare bedroom. "Don't worry. Everything is going to go fine today. I see girl talk and chick flicks in our immediate future."

"Good." He leaned down, kissed Emily gently. "I'll be home as soon as I can. Call me if you need me."

As soon as he was out the door, Bella flopped on the couch next to Emily and crossed her arms over her shoulder, pouting. Emily looked at Alice. "What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure. She hasn't said a single word yet this morning."

Bella looked between the two women and heaved another sigh. "Men are stupid."

Emily giggled, rubbing her protruding belly with one hand. "Ahh, progress is being made. What did our favorite Alpha do?"

When she didn't answer, Alice sat on the arm of the couch, nudged Bella with her shoulder. "Come on Isabella. Tell us what he did."

"Fine." Bella stomped her foot childishly. "Jacob, our esteemed Alpha, won't have sex with me."

Emily sat up, her mouth hanging open, and Alice blinked rapidly. "You mean you and Jacob haven't slept together? You've been here six weeks. You've been spending every other night at his house."

"I sleep in the guest room."

"The guest room? Is he out of his mind?" Emily giggled. "He's been moping over you for a decade, and now that he's got you here, and with him, and practically living in his house he stalls? That doesn't sound like Jacob. Are you sure you're giving out the right signals?"

"This morning? I asked him to get in the shower with me. He smiled and left for work. Last week, I fell asleep in his bed, wearing underwear and a tank top. When I woke up? He was sleeping in the guest room. Said I looked too comfortable and he didn't want to wake me up."

"Have you just flat out told him you want to have sex?"

"He's just being stubborn because I've never had sex before."

Emily's eyebrows met her hairline at that. "No way! Bella Swann! How in hell do you get to twenty eight and manage to stay a virgin?!"

"It's not hard. Edward didn't want me, and no other guy could compare to the two I spent half my life in love with. So I told him that I was a virgin, and ever since then, he's barely kissed me. And he stopped letting me sleep in with him. He says he doesn't want to get carried away because he wants us to be ready. Well damn it all to hell, I'm ready!"

Alice giggled. "Well honey, we're here to help."

Emily nodded enthusiastically. "You should have seen Sam after the accident. He wouldn't touch me for three months. He was so afraid that he was going to hurt me. I tried and tried to be coy about it, but nothing worked."

"So how'd you get him to stop being an idiot?"

"I walked into his bedroom naked and told him I had needs, and if he wouldn't take care of them, I would find someone who would. I was flat on my back before I knew he'd moved."

Bella couldn't help but laugh. And once she'd started laughing she found she couldn't stop. After a minute, Alice started giggling, followed soon after by Emily. Soon enough, they were all three on the couch, laying in a comfortable pile, giggling in female camaraderie.

"Jake would blush for a week if I tried something like that."

"I doubt it. Not to talk behind his back, but Sam's told me Jacob really got around after you left. He was trying to get over you, and he tried with half the girls on the reservation. Then, he just didn't see anyone for years. Until Jared's bachelor party. Boys will be boys, he got drunk, and woke up a Dad." Emily shifted uncomfortably, rubbing her back. "God I hate being this uncomfortable."

"It'll be over soon." Bella kneaded Emily's shoulders soothingly. "Only three weeks left. How're you feeling?"

"Been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a week. I went to the doctor two days ago, and he says I'll go right up to term. I was up half the night with the damn things."

Alice's eyes widened at that moment, and she took Bella's arm, gently but firmly pulling her off the couch. Once Bella was standing, she cleared her throat. "I'll go get some towels."

Before either woman could ask why Alice was going to need towels, Emily doubled over with a particularly strong contraction, and fluid gushed from between her legs, soaking the blanket and couch. Bella squealed and jumped back, clapping her hand over her mouth while Emily just looked shocked.

"No. No, no, no. I cannot go into labor today!"

"I don't think your son is giving you much of a choice." Alice handed Emily some towels, blurred into the bedroom and came out with Mackenzie, a diaper bag and a small suitcase. "I've got everything you need. Bella, help her out to the car. We need to get to the hospital now. He's going to be very impatient."

"I need to change."

"Emily, I promise you, there is no time to change unless you want to give birth in the front seat of Bella's truck. We have to go now."

Nodding, Emily took the blanket Bella held out and wrapped it around herself, slipping her feet into her shoes as they walked toward the door. "Someone needs to call Sam."

"Bella can call him from the truck."

By the time Bella got Emily into the truck, Alice had loaded Mackenzie, who was wide awake and playing with her crayons, and started the engine. Bella helped Emily into the front seat, and had barely gotten her door closed before Alice was pealing out of the driveway.

"Babies are so unpredictable. I didn't see it coming until the decision to be born was made. I wish I could've given you more warning."

"It's fine. I know from Maggie how suddenly it comes on. Thank God she spent the night with Alicia. Bella, call Sam, tell him to meet me at the hospital."

Bella nodded, fished her cell phone out of her purse and scrolled through her contacts list until she found Sam. As always, he answered on the second ring, his voice gruff, and sounding slightly annoyed, as he generally did when forced to talk on the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sam? It's Bella."

"Hey Bella, what's up?"

"Everything's fine, so don't freak out."

"Any conversation that begins with that sentence can't be good." He chuckled then, relaxing. "What did you break?"

"Nothing. It's, well, Emily's water broke. We're on our way to the hospital in Forks. Alice says it's going to happen very quickly, so if you could meet us there, that would really be great."

Sam was silent for a heartbeat. "Five minutes. I'll be there in five minutes." He paused, and she heard a door slamming. "I'm getting in the car. Does Alice know how fast?"

"Alice said if she took time to change clothes, she was going to deliver in my truck."

Sam was waiting for them at the hospital, and as soon as they rolled to a stop, he was lifting Emily into his arms and rushing into the building. Alice waved at Bella, nodding toward the hospital. "Go on. I'll park and take care of munchkin."

Without a second thought, Bella vaulted out of the car and chased after Sam and Emily. She caught them by the elevator, squeezed in just as the doors slid shut. Emily reached up and took Bella's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Sam, you need to call Embry and let him know they have to keep Maggie. And Jacob, you need to call him. He's supposed to be godfather."

Sam nodded, rubbing her neck gently, his face creased with worry. "Let's get you settled and we'll worry about that later."

"I can take care of the calls. Alice is taking care of Mackenzie and the car, so it's no big deal. You two just need to concentrate on getting a new baby."

Emily smiled up at Sam. "Alice says it's going to be a boy. I don't think she knew we don't know, but she said our son is in a hurry to get here."

"A boy?" Sam's face split into a wide grin. "We're going to have a boy?!" he grabbed Emily's face and kissed her hard. The nurse smiled softly, pushed the wheelchair efficiently down the hallway.

"I'm going to get her changed into a gown. You two go call whomever needs called, and I'll have her settled in less than fifteen minutes."

Bella fished out her cell phone and speed dialed Jacob. He picked up on the sixth ring, out of breath and sounding harried. "What?"

"Is that any way to answer a call from your girlfriend?"

"Bella, I'm ridiculously busy. We've had a dozen walk ins, plus our scheduled load. I'll be lucky if I'm home by midnight. So unless something is wrong, I'm gonna have to keep this short."

"I'm at the hospital."

"Where did you fall and what did you break?"

"Not me. Emily. She's in labor. She wants you to come. Something about them asking you to be godfather."

"I'm on my way."

With the call abruptly ended, Bella shook her head. "He is some kind of moody today." She glanced at Sam, who was hanging up his phone.

"They've been swamped this week. Everyone's pulling overtime. Beginning of winter, everyone wants to make sure their cars are running fine and get things done." He stalked to the door, poked his head in only to be admonished by the nurse. "You'd think they'd let me in there. I'm the father, and the husband."

Bella laid her hand on his arm. "She's fine. She's handling it amazingly well. I'd be screaming and passing out."

"Emily's a trooper. She barely cried when Maggie was born. Didn't take any of the drugs. Smooth, easy delivery."

Alice appeared beside them, Mackenzie on her hip. "It's going to be mostly the same. From what I can see, which isn't a lot because babies are so unpredictable, this should all be over by lunch time. The baby has decided to wait a little longer." She shifted from foot to foot. "I'm going to take her home. You're surrounded by wolves, so I can leave you for a little while. I'm going to go get Jasper, and take this one to Billy, and then we'll finish getting him moved into Sue's."

Sam surprised everyone by hugging Alice swiftly. "Thanks for taking care of my wife."

Alice returned the hug enthusiastically. "My pleasure."

Ten minutes after Alice left, Sam was in with Emily, who was almost fully dilated, and Jacob was stepping off the elevator, his hair a mess, his shirt ripped and his hands hastily scrubbed, but still tinged black. Bella rushed toward him, but neglected to see a teenager sitting in one of the chairs, tripped over his foot and would have gone sprawling if Jacob wouldn't have darted forward and caught her under the arms.

"Now do you see why I thought you were the one in the hospital?"

Bella grabbed his arms for stability, glared up at him. "I'm not nearly so bad as I used to be." She slipped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. "Hi."

"Hi. How's Emily?" absentmindedly, he sat her aside, striding to the door and knocking. Sam appeared seconds later.

"Hey, Jake. We're almost there. She's pushing now. Shouldn't be too long. Want to come in?"

Annoyed, Bella gestured toward the door. "Go ahead."

Even more annoying was that Jake followed Sam into the room without even a look toward Bella. When she had been sitting in the waiting room for over two hours without anyone coming out to even give her an update, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Leah? Hey, it's Bella. I know you're going on patrol, and you generally go by my Dad's house a couple times. So I was wondering if you'd mind coming to the hospital to pick me up and dropping me off there before you go start patrol."

"Out of all the member of the damn pack, you call me? What the hell are you doing at the hospital anyway?"

"Apparently being you. Emily's in labor. And she's hijacked Jacob. They haven't even poked their heads out in two hours. Do you mind?"

"Yeah, I mind, but I'll do it anyway. But just because I'm sick of my husband sleeping on the fucking couch."

"That's a good enough reason for me. I'll meet you out front."

"I'll be there in ten minutes. If you aren't waiting for me when I get there, I'm leaving your ass and you can walk."


	17. Chapter 17

Landon Michael Uley was born at 11:27 am on December 21st. He made his debut screaming at the top of his lungs, and at a healthy nine pounds. Sam was thrilled by the addition of a son to their family, and Emily was the epitome of the blissful mother. Jacob was godfather, and Leah was godmother, though when the new parents had asked her, she had vehemently refused until Jacob had taken her aside for a stern discussion.

By the time he'd gotten away from the hospital, it was past eight, and he knew he'd missed dinner with Bella and Charlie. Past that, he'd completely forgotten to call, and when he checked his phone, found that he had half a dozen messages from Bella, each sounding more annoyed than the last. The final message informed him that Alice had taken Mackenzie home and put her to bed, and Seth was staying until he arrived. That Alice would be by in the morning to pick her up, and that Bella was too angry to talk at the moment. So much for getting the Christmas tree.

Not that he didn't deserve it. It had completely slipped him mind that Bella had been in the waiting room, and he knew he would be annoyed had he been left waiting for hours on end without anyone bothering to let him know what was going on. Add to that forgetting to call, and not checking his voicemail for eight hours, and it was no wonder Bella was pissed.

When he arrived home, Seth was stretched out on the couch, watching some bloody movie and texting idly with one of his friends. When he heard Jacob come in, he sat up, closing the phone. "Rachel brought over something for you to eat. Apparently it's well known news that you're in the doghouse and she thought Bella might be mad enough to neglect to feed you."

Annoyed, Jacob grabbed a beer from the fridge, plopped in the recliner. "I'm twenty six years old. I can cook for my damn self."

"Don't blame me. She's your sister." He deftly caught the beer Jacob threw at him. "Thanks. So what the hell did you do?"

"Forgot she was in the waiting room, missed dinner, didn't answer her calls, and forgot to call her."

"Yeah, you're not getting any for a while."

"I'm not getting any anyway."

Seth gaped at that. "Bella never struck me as that big of a hold out. She jumped Edward pretty quick, and that was in high school."

"That's the problem. She didn't. She hasn't. Ever."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was kidding. I haven't had to deal with this issue since I was seventeen, and then, it didn't mean a damn thing. I don't have a fucking clue how to handle this. So I'm not. I keep us from getting carried away, because I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Does she want to?"

"I'm pretty positive that's a yes. I just don't want her to regret it."

"Dude, it's Bella. The one you've been waiting for your whole life. And she's finally picked you! You should be living in bed trying to make up for lost time. Not putting her off because you're worried she's not sure. She wouldn't be here if she wasn't sure. I never would have thought you'd be this stupid."

"It's not being stupid. I don't want it to be meaningless."

"It's not possible for something between you and Bella to be meaningless. Do you really think she would have put up with Paul and Leah, and Collin and Brady if she wasn't sure about you? We'd have helped her anyway. You'd have made us. She did that because she wanted everyone to accept her back. She did the cliff diving to prove that we could trust her. To be a part of us. In a lot of ways, Jake, I think she's been more sure about things than you have."

Jacob stewed over his beer for several minutes, then sighed deeply. "Should I go down there?"

"Not tonight. Let her cool down, then go down tomorrow after work and tell her how sorry you are and how wrong you were, beg for forgiveness, and prepare for another few weeks of celibacy. Because no way in hell is she giving it up to you after this." Seth finished his drink, stood to pull on his jacket. "I'm going to get out of here. I patrol at one, and I want to grab a few hours. I'll make sure to stop by Charlie's and make sure she's okay."

"Thanks, Seth." He sighed again, ran his hand through his hair. "I've really been an idiot, haven't I?"

"And then some." He grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much. Women are damn confusing. I think everyone's an idiot at one point or another. Even you."

The next night when Jacob got in from work, another shirt ruined from being under a car all day, and his hair going all directions, he found dinner in the oven and on the stove, and Bella in the living room, struggling with a Christmas tree. She'd managed to get it into the stand, but it was still incredibly lopsided, and every time she would try to straighten it, it nearly tipped over and she would rush to the other side to catch it, grunting under the weight.

"You should have known better than to try this on your own."

Bells shrieked when he spoke, dropped the tree that she was trying to hold up, which smashed her in the head, knocking her flat on her butt. With a loud grunt, she landed hard, and glared up at him, blowing hair out of her eyes.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Jacob easily lifted the tree and sat it back in the stand, stooping to tighten a couple bolts. When he stepped back, the tree remained completely upright. Satisfied, he offered a hand to Bella, smirked when she climbed to her feet herself.

"I didn't sneak up on you. I unlocked the door, took off my jacket and shoes, walked into my living room. No sneaking was involved."

"I'm still mad at you. Just so you know. But I wanted a damn tree, so I had Charlie take me to get one today."

"That's okay. You should be mad at me. Where's Alice and Mackenzie?"

"Alice is hunting with Jasper, and Mackenzie was playing in the playpen last time I looked. She hasn't cried, so she's either playing or sleeping."

"Has she eaten?"

"And had a bath. It's eight thirty, Jake. Of course she's eaten."

"The shop was swamped again, and I patrol tonight. I had to get it done because I won't be going in until late tomorrow."

"The shop has been swamped for a week. But everyone else was home two hours ago. I would know. When seven hit, I got worried, and when you didn't answer your phone or the phone at the garage, I called Embry and Quil." She put her hands on her hips, stared him down. "What is going on? You've been avoiding me for days, you've barely touched me, you ignore my phone calls." Her voice rose with each word, ending with, "_I'm beginning to think you imprinted!"_

Jacob was shocked at that. And in a heartbeat, he was across the room, pulling her into his arms, crushing her against his chest. "No, baby, God no. I haven't imprinted." He pulled her up, clamped his mouth on hers, the heat between them threatening to ignite them both. "You want to know my problem? My problem is that I'm scared if I'm around you I'm not going to be able to keep from throwing you onto the nearest flat surface and making love to you until neither one of us can stand up."

Bella lifted onto her tiptoes, framed his face with her hands. "And what in God's name makes you think I don't want you to?"

"Bells, we're not ready. It's not going to be just because we're both horny. It's going to be because it's right, because it's time. I love you, and I want to make things special for you."

Her eyes hardening, Bella stepped back. "Okay then." She patted his arm, moved into the kitchen to plate dinner. "Let's eat."

"That's it? You aren't going to argue, or scream and yell?"

"Nope. Mac's sleeping. I don't want to wake her." She pulled pork chops out of the oven, stirred the mashed potatoes idly. "Pour drinks, would you? I'm having milk."

Confused by her complete turn around, Jacob nodded, retrieving two glasses from the cabinet. He sat when she plunked a plate down, waited until she joined him. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"Alice and I are going to go see the baby, and then work in the library for a while. I think I'm making some headway on this vampirism thing. I've found a reference to the Cold One whose heart began to beat again, but nothing on how it happened."

"Really?"

"Yeah, apparently generations ago, there was a werewolf who imprinted on a vampire. And somehow, she became human again. I need to find the other legends about it to find out how." She took a bite of broccoli, chewed thoughtfully, then smiled. "So, is the shop closing for Christmas?"

Bella stormed into Sam and Emily's house the next morning, a baby on her hip, diaper bag slung over her shoulder, Alice trailing along behind her looking concerned. Emily grinned up from where she was holding Landon, and Maggie bounced excitedly on the other end of the couch. Sam was rustling around in the kitchen, trying to find something to cook for his wife and daughter. Alice immediately went and relieved him, anxious to test out her cooking skills again.

"Hey, Bella." Sam bent to kiss her cheek gently, ruffled Mackenzie's hair. "I can take her so you can hold the baby if you want."

Bella started to pass off Mackenzie, but she twined her hands in Bella's hair and shook her head vehemently. "Want Mama."

With those two words, the entire house went dead silent. Emily's eyes filled with tears and she struggled to sit up, handing Landon to Alice without so much as a thought. Sam took a step back, shock lining his face. Bella blushed bright red. She shrugged, looking sheepish.

"She started doing that a couple weeks ago. Jake knows. We've talked about it. We decided to let her decide what to call me. We aren't encouraging it, or discouraging it." She gently sat Mackenzie on the floor, leaned forward. "And Jake is actually what I wanted to talk to you about." She shot a glare at Sam when he started to slink out of the room. "Oh, no. You stay right here."

Alice sighed deeply. "I don't think this is a good idea, Bella."

"Well I don't care." She smiled brightly at Sam. "I need advice about Jacob, and I figure Sam knows him better than just about anyone, and Emily is always great with the advice, and I don't want to know the future. I want to make it happen on my own."

Curious, Emily patted the couch next to her. "Come. Sit. Hold baby. Sam, drinks. I think Bella could use some wine."

Sam gaped. "Em, it's nine in the morning."

"No one will know but us. Sam, there's a nice bottle of Pinot Noir in there. Open it up. You and Bella can have a glass. She needs it. And God knows you could use some relaxing."

Unable to tell his wife no, Sam retrieved the bottle and two glasses, poured them hesitantly. He handed one to Bella, stared while she downed it. "I guess you did need a drink. This must be serious."

"Jacob," she paused to nod when he poured her more. "Refuses to have sex with me. And more than that, he refuses to even discuss having sex with me." She waved her arm for effect, gulped down the second glass. "God this is good. Emily, you're a genius. Have some more, Sam. Anyway, I need your help."

Curious, Sam perched on the arm of the couch, sipping his glass, and still not quite sure if Emily was a genius or out of her mind. "So what do you think we can do about it?"

"I want you to tell me how to seduce him." She looked from one to the other, ignoring Alice, who had her head in her hands. "Teach me how to be irresistible. I want him to rip my clothes off, I want him to be unable to turn me down. And I'm not leaving until you help me."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Sam stood and slunk into the kitchen. Immediately incensed, Emily shot daggers into his back. "Where the hell do you think you're going? The girl needs help. And you, big werewolf guy, are going to get in here and give it to her."

Sam turned, his face looking pained. "Do you realize that I have to share a mind with these people? And if I'm going to be forced to sit here and give Bella advice on how to get Jacob naked and horizontal, I'm going to be drunk doing it. Because, my darling wife, the werewolf she wants to seduce is my Alpha. And when, not if, when, he finds out I'm doing this, there is a strong likelihood that you're going to find yourself a widow. So, I'm going to go get the rest of that girly wine that everyone brought for your baby shower that we'd never drink under ordinary circumstances, and I'm going to make use of it."

Emily snickered, and Bella beamed. Alice simply shook her head and looked as if she was in physical pain. "Well hop to it, then. We have a lot of work to get done." Emily rubbed her hands together devilishly. "Well, Bella, I think the first thing you need to do is get some knockout lingerie. Now, nothing too expensive because you do want him to rip it off of you, but nothing cheap either. You want it to be obvious that you put some thought and effort into it and that it wasn't some random bra you bought from Victoria's Secret or something."

Immediately enthralled with the advice, and slightly tipsy from two glasses of very excellent wine, Bella leaned forward, nodding enthusiastically. "Okay, I can do that. Alice! We're going shopping."

More melodic words Alice had never heard come from the mouth of Isabella Swan.


	18. Chapter 18

"Santa!"

Bella's eyes sprung open at the clear declaration that it was, indeed, Christmas morning. She looked at the clock and groaned. Six. Apparently the prospect of tearing into all the presents that had been accumulating under the tree had spurred Mackenzie into waking up at an ungodly hour on Christmas morning. And since she was the only one home, there was no one else to get up and deal with it.

After all, Jacob was patrolling for another hour, and Alice and Jasper had gone out hunting, though they were due back anytime. Of course, Quil was downstairs to make sure she didn't get eaten during the night, but the odds of him leaving the couch to tend to a baby were slim to none. So, sighing, and resigned to not getting any more sleep, Bella stood, slipping into the thick robe she kept at the foot of the bed to combat the chill. She padded down the hall, and found Mackenzie standing in her crib, her black hair wild and unruly, clapping her hands excitedly, and looking like a doll in her Christmas tree printed footed pajamas. They had been from Auntie Alice, and were the current favorite item of clothing.

"Hey there, munchkin. Why you up so early?"

Mackenzie smiled widely, revealing the few teeth she'd already gotten. "Mama. Santa!"

"Yes, yes, Santa." Bella scooped her out of the crib, spent a moment taming her hair and changing the diaper, then carried her downstairs. The elated Santa chants were enough to wake Quil, who, all in all, was good natured at being woken up hours before a normal person would be awake. He yanked on jeans and a shirt over his boxers, ran an hand through his hair, succeeding in little more than messing it up even more, and followed her into the kitchen.

"Please tell me there's coffee."

"There will be momentarily." Bella plopped Mackenzie in the high chair, turned to the coffee pot and started the process of perking it. "Hungry?"

"Always. What're we having?"

"I always made a Christmas feast for my mom when I was growing up. Should be enough to feed two werewolves."

"Great. So what does that include?"

"Eggs, sausage, pancakes, biscuits and gravy."

"Yum." Quil pulled out a bowl, and set about making Mackenzie's oatmeal. "When will she be ready to eat some real food instead of mush?"

"Jake's been giving her some things. She can have a pancake. And we upgraded to real oatmeal instead of the baby mush. Once she gets a few more teeth it'll be easier." Bella placed a skillet on the stove, started heating the oven. "Hopefully he'll be home by the time this is done. I don't know how long I can keep her out of those packages. I've had to rewrap almost every one of them over the past few days. And the pack Christmas thing last night just reinforced that wrapping paper is for ripping. And after we're done here, we have to go to Sue and Billy's for another bout of food and presents. My dad's coming to that one."

"What about your mom?"

"Mom and I aren't terribly close anymore. We see each other occasionally, but it's been a few years since we did any holiday together. I'll call her this afternoon, and we mailed presents to each other. Though the fact that she still thinks I can fit my ass into a size four is a testament to how long it's been."

"And the Cullens?"

"Alice and Jasper will be back soon. Probably before Jacob. They've been getting packages in the mail for days. From the rest of their family, I'm assuming. Though all of them had an address forwarding sticker on them, so no one knows where any of the others are."

Quil grunted when Mackenzie threw a spoonful of oatmeal into his hair. "Thanks, Mac. I needed to wash it anyway." He grabbed a dish towel, wiped out the glop and took the spoon, deciding to feed her instead of trusting her with the spoon again. "So nothing's changed with the Volturi?"

"Nothing yet. They're after Edward right now. Esme and Emmett are back together, and they're in San Francisco. Close enough to be here in a few hours if they're needed, far enough away that it won't cast suspicion on them." She smiled at his confused look. "I know I just said they don't know where they are, but Alice can see all of them. So I guess I more meant that none of them know where Alice is. Esme just has it in her head that I would come back here if I wasn't in Phoenix, which is right, even though she doesn't know it yet."

"And Emmett?"

"Is good at finding people. Even when he shouldn't. The Cullens aren't stupid. They know me. They know I would go to you. Alice said Rosalie is impatiently waiting for the Volturi to get to her so she can come straight back here. Apparently she isn't as content to wait around to find out as the rest of them."

"It sure is nice having a psychic around. She takes a lot of the guesswork out of things."

"Yeah, but for some reason she can't see if I'm ever going to find out anything about turning them human again. I know it's what they want, I know they would do it, and I know that your legends reference it having happened before."

Quil pondered that while she fried sausage and made gravy. By the time she'd started beating the pancake batter, he'd come up with a theory. "Maybe her not being able to see is actually her seeing."

Confused, Bella turned around, the bowl in her arms, whisk in one hand. "That makes no sense."

"When she was human she had premonitions, right? She couldn't see everything?"

"That's right."

"So maybe the fact that her future has an ending point means that for some reason she's not going to be able to continue to see past that point. How far into the future can she see normally?"

"A few months. But only solid decisions. That's why she can be caught off guard. Spur of the moment decisions aren't part of her ability."

"So maybe she can't see that far because she loses the ability to see everything. Or maybe it's a spur of the moment decision that leads you to it."

Bella pondered that while she cooked, and was so lost in the ramifications of what Quil had said that she didn't even notice when Jacob came in until he slid his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck with his nose. And then, despite how angry she was with him, and despite the plan she had for later that day, she melted into his arms like butter, her face turning up for his kiss, her arms sliding around him, her head finding that indent in his shoulder that always felt as if it had been made just for her.

"How was patrol?"

"Couple stragglers, just like Alice said there would be. We got them crossing over the border into Forks. It's picking up. I know she says still a few weeks, but there's been a vamp every night for the past week. I'm talking to Sam after New Year's about doubling up on patrols. Jasper and Alice are filling in to double up, and at night we've needed their help."

"Da! Santa!"

Jacob chuckled and crossed the room to his daughter, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Soon, baby. We've got to eat breakfast first. Then you can destroy the house." He grabbed plates and glasses, quickly set the table. "What're you doing today, Quil?"

"Heading home after this. Dinner with my Mom, then heading over to Claire's for a while. She wants to go sledding this afternoon."

Bella started loading pancakes onto plates. "She's starting to look at you, Quil. If I had to guess, it won't be more than a year or two before she has a major crush on you. If she doesn't already."

"Yeah, I can tell it's starting to change. But she's still like my sister. That's one of the great things about phasing. As long as I keep doing it, I won't age, and she can catch up. I mean, right now, I'm twice her age, and it can't happen. Not for at least another five years. But then, I know we'll be happy together."

Bella slid into her chair, reached for the syrup. "That's the benefit of imprinting. You know you're meant to be."

Jacob glared at her around a mouth of egg, swallowed fiercely. "Don't even start on that."

"I wasn't. I wasn't even talking about the two of us." She shrugged. "I love you, and I love being with you. And I believe you when you tell me you won't imprint on someone else. Still having problems trying to swallow the fact that you don't want to have sex with me, but hey, that's another topic entirely."

Jacob choked on a gulp of coffee, and Quil clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Bella continued chewing a bite of pancake, absentmindedly wiped Mackenzie's mouth. Once he finished coughing, Jacob slammed his hand on the table, getting her attention with the loud bang.

"This is not the time or the place for this conversation, and it certainly isn't the company."

Bella lifted one eyebrow inquisitively. "Then when is the time and what is the place? Because I'm sick and tired of dancing around the subject." She looked to Quil. "He's refusing to have sex with me because I'm a virgin. Claire's obviously a virgin, you're going to be her first, whenever that happens. Is that going to keep your hands off of her?"

Quil stood, reached for his jacket. "Oh no you don't, Bella my love. I'm not getting in this. You and Jake work it out on your own. I'm not saying anything that he could kill me for later." He bent, kissed her cheek gently. "I'll see you two later."

As soon as the door shut, Jake stood and stomped across the room. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Because we need to talk about it, Jacob! Because I feel like you don't want me. And I know you say you can barely keep yourself from tearing my clothes off, but it's hard to believe when you barely kiss me anymore."

"What do you want, Bella? Do you want me to ravage you until I'm satisfied and you're in pain? Do you want me to tear your clothes, and bruise your skin and fuck you until you beg me to stop!?"

Bella rose to her feet, threw her hands out to the side. "Anything, Jake! I want you to do something! I want you to want me! I want to get frustrated and horny and want to rip each other apart!"

In a heartbeat, Jacob was across the room, grabbing her by her hips and crushing her mouth to his. He sat her on the counter, her legs cinching around his waist. His hands splayed on her back, pulling her into him. His tongue invaded her mouth, hot and spicy. She clung to him, her hands working through his hair, tugging gently.

She slipped her hands down his chest, gripped his shirt and drew it over his head, her hands racing over the smooth skin of his chest, down to his belt. He tore his mouth away long enough to yank her shirt off, his hands taking immediate possession of her breasts, contained only by the thin cotton of her bra. A ragged groan tore from her mouth, and her head fell back, her back arching toward him.

His mouth trailed from her mouth to her neck, his teeth nipping at her tender flesh, igniting little fires everywhere that he touched. Her fingernails dug into his back, her legs brought him closer, feeling the evidence of his desire full and hard against her pelvis.

"Da! Santa!"

And just like that, the moment was over. Jacob pulled back from her, his broad chest heaving. He braced his forehead against hers, his hands sliding to her waist. Her hands went to his shoulders, her lips swollen and red from the kissing, her breath coming in short gasps.

"Don't you see, Bella? I want you so much that I'm hanging on by a thread. And it's not going to take much to send me over. I don't want that to be how it is with us. I want it to be special, and right. And if that means pissing you off, then that's what I'm going to do."

Bella remained on the cabinet while Jacob lifted Mackenzie out of her high chair and carried her into the living room. As soon as he was gone, her face split into a wide grin. Perfect. With any luck, by the end of the night, she would have him precisely where she wanted him. And even if it didn't, she'd at least proven that he wasn't as unaffected by her as he'd made himself out to be.


	19. Chapter 19

Jacob sighed as he opened the shower curtain and reached for a towel. It seemed like Christmas had crawled by. First the argument with Bella, then presents, and a constant parade of family and their friends. By the time everything had been done, it was past ten o'clock, and he hadn't slept in thirty six hours. He was hoping that Bella would decide not to pick up the argument that they had started. With the vampires beginning to trickle in, it was incredibly important that he not lose his focus.

He pulled on boxers and sweatpants, rubbing his hair with the towel as he walked out of the bathroom. The house was strangely quiet. Poking his head into the nursery, all he saw was an empty crib. Curious, he descended the stairs and found Bella sitting on the couch, wearing pajamas, her hair streaming around her shoulders, a book open in his lap. It only took him one glance to recognize the book as some of the legends.

"Hey."

Bella looked up when he spoke, smiled softly. "Hey. Have a nice shower?"

"Wonderful." He flopped next to her, pulling her feet into his lap and beginning to rub one gently. "Where are the other three people who periodically live here?"

"Alice and Jasper took Mackenzie to the hotel for the night."

Confused, he rubbed his forehead. "Did I know that was happening?"

"Nope." Bella smiled sweetly, slapped the book closed and stood. "Come on."

"Bella? What is going on?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"So you just decided, all on your own, without even mentioning it to me, that it would be okay for Alice and Jasper to take Mackenzie for the night?"

"Yes, I did. Because I have a surprise for you and I didn't want to have to deal with a screaming baby in the middle of it. I love her to death, Jacob, and God knows I would gladly give my life for that little girl, but for tonight, I needed her somewhere else so that I could have some time with her Daddy. And she's perfectly safe with Auntie Alice and Uncle Jasper. You know they love her as much as I do."

"That's not the point. If I didn't think she was safe, I wouldn't still be standing here. The point is that you did it without telling me."

"Get over it. If we're going to be together, and I'm the one who is home all the time, because I work from here, then there are going to be times that I make decisions regarding her without you. Now, stop being grumpy, close your eyes and get ready for your surprise. I've been working on this all week."

"Bella, we're not done talking about this. I know you're going to be a part of her life, and that you get a say in what happens with her, but just doing things like this, without telling me, is not the way this should work."

Annoyed, Bella crossed the room and clapped a hand over his mouth to stop the flow of words. "Jacob Ephraim Black, if you do not shut up and close your eyes I am going to leave this house and I swear to God I'll never set foot on this reservation again. She is safe, she is likely having much more fun than she would be here, and she is with people I love and trust. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you, but that would negate the concept of a surprise. So, which is it gonna be? Eyes closed, or should I call Charlie and tell him I'm coming home?"

Jacob spent several moments trying to decide if she was serious, and finally decided that she was. If she hadn't been, there was no way she'd have managed to keep a straight face for so long. Sighing, and still more than a little annoyed, he threw up his hands and closed his eyes.

Stomach jumping, Bella dashed into the bathroom and stripped down to her underwear. She'd gone shopping with Alice earlier in the week and had picked up several pieces of lingerie. Her favorite was the red lace balconet bra and skimpy matching bikini panties. Of course, Alice had bought her a garter belt and black silk stockings to go with it. Taking a look in the mirror at the way she managed to fill everything out, Bella had never been more glad in her life that she'd actually developed curves and cleavage. Because if what she saw in the mirror was any indication, the only way Jacob was going to be able to keep his hands off of her was if he removed them.

She moved around the room quietly, pulling back the blankets on the bed, lighting the candles she'd placed strategically around the room, flipping off all but the dim bedside lamp. Then, she slowly walked over to him, took his hands in hers, and held them centimeters away from her flesh, leaning forward to let her lips glide over his chest.

"Okay. Open your eyes."

Jacob opened his eyes skeptically, then when he saw what she was wearing, they widened. He started to step back, but she gripped his wrists tightly, pulled his arms around her, pressing her body against his. One of her legs curled around his hip, and she smiled as coyly as she could manage when she felt the evidence of his desire against her groin.

"Oh, no. You're not pushing me away this time. Tonight, Jacob Black, you are going to make love to me. Over and over until we pass out from exhaustion. And when we wake up? You're going to do it again."

"Bella, this isn't a good idea."

"No, it's a great idea. I love you, you love me, we're practically living together. I know you want me, and I want this, Jake. I want you. I want you to be the first, and I don't want to go another day without knowing what it's like to truly be with you."

"I could hurt you. Bells, I want you so bad that I'm afraid I'll be too rough with you. And the last thing I want is to ever know that I was the one to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me. I know you, Jacob. I know you could never hurt me." She placed his hands on her hips, slid her hands over his chest. "Take me to bed. Make love to me. Make me yours."

With a ragged groan, Jacob lifted her in his arms, his mouth hot and wild on hers, his hands scalding her skin with his heat. He gently laid her on the bed, balancing himself on his knees to look down at her. Slowly, he unhooked the garter belt, and drew the silky stockings down her legs, discarding them on the floor.

Locking his eyes onto hers, he lifted one of her feet, took it in both of his hands, and pressed a kiss to the delicate bones in her ankle, working his way slowly up her leg, until her breath was coming in shallow pants, and her skin felt like it was being electrified. When he nuzzled her inner thigh, his hair tickling her skin and his stubble rough on her tender flesh, she shivered and her hips arched toward him of their own accord.

"My God you smell good."

Bella giggled nervously, jumped when he drew his tongue over the soft skin on her stomach. "That's something I never thought I'd hear someone say when they're down there."

"I'm a wolf. I can smell pheromones, and smelling how turned on you are right now is amazing." He nipped her hip sharply, soothed the sting with his tongue. He slid further up, cupping her breasts in his hands. "Sit up a little. I want to get this off of you."

Bella laid her hands over his, bringing her legs up to rub at his hips as they curled around him. "No. I bought this stuff so that you could do what you said you wanted and tear it off of me." She smiled seductively. "So rip it off."

Jacob's eyes darkened with desire, and his entire body started to tremble. For a split second, she thought he was about to phase, and panic rose in her throat. But then his hands found the seam of her bra and with one smooth movement, he ripped the filmy fabric, baring her breasts and throwing the pieces of lace aside.

And then, his body was covering hers, his chest pressed to hers, his hands on her hips, gripping them, lifting them into his, his mouth hot and avid on hers. She arched into his kiss, winding her arms around him, her blunt nails biting into his shoulders. When he tore his mouth from hers and stroked his tongue over her nipple, she gasped and her eyes rolled back in her head.

He caressed the dusky tips with his tongue, drawing it into his mouth to suck gently, his tongue swirling around her as he did so. Moans tore from her throat, her hands clasped at his head, holding him to her, her hips rocking against his, the fire in her belly more than anything she'd ever felt before.

He rose up on his knees, gripped the waistband of her panties in his hands, drew them down her legs and threw them on the floor, where they joined the remnants of her bra. He splayed his hands over her ribs, taking in the contrast of his dark skin against her pale body. He raked his eyes down her, the slim rib cage and waist, flaring hips, the curve of her thighs, the neatly trimmed thatch of hair at the juncture, all the way to the toes that were painted fire engine red.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he ran his hands over her body, reveling in the smoothness, the feel of her skin beneath his rougher hands. "I could stare at you forever." He lowered himself, pressed his mouth to hers in a deep kiss. "I love you, Bella."

She reached up, laid her hands on his face. "I love you, Jacob." She pulled herself up, wrapped herself around him, touching him with every inch of herself. "Make love to me. Now."

Almost reverently, Jacob stood, his hands sliding his sweatpants down his legs, followed quickly by his boxers. Bella gasped when she saw him finally standing before her naked. Heat erupted in her cheeks, and she tried not to stare at the protruding flesh that she was unable to comprehend actually fitting within her body.

He cocked an eyebrow at her and grinned wickedly. "You still sure about this?"

The laughter in his eyes, and the over the top self confidence was enough to break the tension. Bella extended her arms for him. "Get your ass over here."

In a heartbeat, he was standing between her legs, their skin brushing for the first time. He slowly lowered her to the bed, covering her body with his, balancing himself above her on his hands. On their own accord, her knees bent, making her thighs spread, allowing his hips to anchor against hers. Her mouth lifted to meet his, her hands slid over his ribs, and around to his back. He brushed her hair out of her face gently.

"Are you sure about this?"

Bella nodded, stroking her hands down his body, allowing herself to explore him. They both jumped when her fingertips brushed against the velvety softness of his erection. Then, biting her bottom lip, she curled her fingers around him. Understanding her need to touch and explore, Jacob worked on keeping himself absolutely still.

"Does that feel good?"

Her complete lack of self assuredness boggled his mind. He covered her fingers with his own. "Bells, baby, it feels so good that if you don't stop, we might not get to the main act." He drew her hand away, used his hand to push her thighs further apart and then probed her entrance with the thick head of his penis.

Bella gasped when she felt him rub against her, and when he began to enter, tears sprung to her eyes at the sharp pain when he came into contact with the barrier of her body. He gathered her close, kissing her gently, rubbing her with one hand, sending bolts of pleasure through her body that helped to counteract the pain he was causing her.

"I'm sorry. This is going to hurt."

Bella squeezed her eyes shut, nodded. "Just do it. I want to feel all of you."

With one strong thrust, he was buried inside her, tearing through her virginity, and sliding heavily within her. She was wet, and she was hot, but she felt like a vice around him, surrounding him with her body. She let out a yelp at the penetration, her hips jumping into his, her body stretching, struggling to accommodate his girth. Uncomfortable, she wiggled against him, trying to alleviate the pressure between her legs.

"Jake-" her breath was short, she rocked her hips against his, knowing she needed something, but not sure what. "Please-"

Jacob chuckled, slid almost all the way out of her, then slowly back in, reveling in the way she clenched around him and the surprise on her face when it felt good. Gently, he glided in and out of her several times, easing the tension in her, ebbing the pain, making her groan.

Their mouth fused, their tongues dancing in the same way that their bodies were. Her legs came up to hug his hips, pulling him deeper within her. He twined their fingers, lifted her arms above her head. Their bodies moved together naturally, as if they had been made for each other. Her eyes opened, met his, and with a ragged groan, she gave into the sensations coursing through her body, gave herself over to Jacob and what he was making her feel and soared away, the pleasure flowing into her fingers and toes, making them curl. Her hips bucked of their own accord, her back arched, driving her head into the mattress.

Prolonging her orgasm, Jacob dipped his head and took one nipple in his mouth, licking and sucking until her nails were biting into his shoulders and his name was a scream on her lips. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, growling, his own climax close. She ran her hands down his back, turned her face to press against his ear.

"Do it, Jake. I want you to do it. Make me yours."

Her words a melody in his ear, Jacob let himself go, emptying himself into her with a loud groan, his teeth sinking into her shoulder without his consent, the metallic tang of her blood brushing his tongue. With that, he threw back his head, pumping his body into hers, and roared.

There you go. One giant lemon. Like it? Hate it? Let me know!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Okay, so I got a couple reviews of concern last chapter that I felt I should address. First, let me say that I am an author who enjoys constructive criticism. But when a criticism reads as if the reader has failed to actually read the entire thing, it irks a bit. Alice is not a saving grace. I felt as if, in the right circumstances, it would be possible for some of the Cullens to be friends with the pack. The personalities just seemed to work for me. And Alice taking Mackenzie last chapter was not something out of the blue. We'd seen one sleepover already. There has been development of that trust over weeks and months here. It's not like she came back and the next night she goes to babysit. Her being there at Sam's, staying on the reservation, being there at Thanksgiving, the night that Bella was hurt, there are many interactions throughout the chapters, and I think this was not some shocking development.

So, that's my rant. Now, on to something more important. There are three chapters left after this one, and I am still in the process of getting the last two chapters validated on twilighted. Therefore, I will post this one, and the next, but then there may be a delay of a few days as I wait for validation. I don't want to get ahead on here. My beta assures me ch 22 will be ready today, so it's possible, even likely, that the only chapter you'll need to wait for it the last one.

Without further ado, enjoy!

Alice made her way into the kitchen silently, her stomach full from the recent hunt. She and Jasper had gone out, running with Embry for a while before branching off to feed. A full stomach had put her in a good enough mood that she had decided to put together something for Bella and Jacob when they woke up. After all, they needed all the sleep they could muster since they hadn't been able to get their hands off of each other since Christmas.

And it was about damn time. Bella was one of the people Alice cared about most in the world, and she deserved to be happy more than just about anyone. So seeing her glowing from nights spent with Jacob was enough to eradicate the lingering pangs she felt at not seeing Edward with Bella. And over the past weeks, she'd managed to adjust to the smell coming from Jacob quite nicely. And the pack seemed to have accepted her, despite the lack of a beating heart.

Humming under her breath, Alice opened the fridge and pulled out the strawberries she'd picked up at the store the day before. Danishes would go over well, and still be good when Bella and Jacob woke up in the morning. She pulled out eggs, got out the flour, and put butter in the microwave to melt. It would be hours before it became light out, and she had plenty of time to kill before even Jacob would stir.

Things had been busy for the past several weeks. The Volturi were getting close. They'd finally given up on Edward, and the guard had traced Bella back to Forks. They hadn't gotten anyone past the wolves yet, but Jane and Demetri were on their way. Since they were coming, Alice had called in her family. Esme and Emmett had arrived nearly a week before, staying inside their house, not letting their presence be known, and Rosalie had come to the reservation three days after. She'd been hastily taken to the Forks house, but it was wonderful having most of their family so close together. Even if they could just talk on the phone.

There was something else going on. And she hadn't quite been able to put her finger on it. But there was a niggling feeling at the back of her mind that there was something brewing that she hadn't yet seen. Something important, something dangerous. But because she didn't have any details, or anything other than a bad feeling, there was nothing to tell the pack about.

As Alice turned to break eggs into her bowl, she was sucked into a vision. Bella, in her pajamas, her feet bare and scraped raw. Bella walking through a field, the moon bright above her head, her eyes wide an unstaring. Bella, surrounded by vampires, most unfamiliar, some Volturi. Jane yanking her head back, draining her almost to the point of death. Bella, going through the transformation, writhing in pain, emerging with blood red eyes and the blood lust to match it.

But when? The moon, full. Like tonight. So soon. A field. The same one as Laurent. That matched too. But when?! Alice gripped the counter, searching her vision for clues. The pajamas. The pajamas were a clue. What had Bella been wearing?

"JACOB!"

Alice blurred up the stairs, crashed through the closed door, throwing open the door. Sure enough, Jacob was alone in the bed, and the window was open, the curtains floating in the gentle breeze coming in from outside.

"What the hell, Alice?"

"Bella's gone. The Volturi, they've done something, they've dazzled her. She's on her way to the field. They're going to kill her! You have to go now! Now, before it's too late! I didn't see it coming, oh God, I didn't see it!"

Jacob grabbed her shoulder, shook her hard. "Alice, calm down. Calm down and talk to me. What did you see?"

"Newborns. At least twenty of them. They're being commanded by a blonde vampire. I think he is one of Victoria's. I think Jane found him. One of them obviously has the power to lure her in. Sleepwalking or something. I don't know. The Volturi are here! And Bella is walking straight to them! The field where you killed Laurent. You have to go, now!"

"Take Mackenzie, go get Alicia and take them to Emily. Tell Leah and Sam what's going on. Embry's on patrol. I'll get him and we'll go. Then you get Jasper and the rest of your family and get them there. Do it now, Alice."

Jacob, not pausing even a second to be modest, yanked off his boxers and leaped out the window, phasing in midair, and landing on four paws. He lifted his head and howled, the sound terrifying. Within seconds, there was an answering howl, and he was barreling through the woods toward the field Alice had told him to go to.

**_"What's going on?"_**

**_ "Alice had a vision. The Volturi are here. They have newborn vampires with them. One of them has some sort of power that can be used on Bella. They've lured her out. She's walking right to them"_**

**_ "Where?"_**

**_ "The field. I sent Alice to get Leah and Sam and the rest of the Cullens."_**

**_ "Well fine, don't include me then."_**

****Suddenly Quil's voice joined them, and within a few seconds, he was running alongside them. Jacob turned his head, puzzlement on his face. **_"Where did you come from?"_**

**_ "Heard the howl. Figured something was up and phased to check in. So, vampires, huh?"_**

**_ "Plenty to go around from what the vampire said."_**

**_ "Leah! Alice got to you quick."_**

**_ "She's as fast as we are, Jake. Though sending her for my daughter? You may trust her, but I'm not there yet. Anything happens to Alicia and I'm taking it out of your hide."_**

**** Jacob led the charge into the clearing, skidded to a stop. What he saw turned his stomach. Bella was standing a hundred yards in front of them, and half that distance in front of her were many vampires. Most were growling and lunging forward, but the obviously older vampires were keeping them under control. A blonde vampire stepped forward, smiling viciously at the wolves.

"Only four of you? I thought your pack was much larger. That will make our jobs much easier. It was so nice when I found someone that could penetrate that shield the human has. Daniel, make her come to me."

A vampire, obviously new from the jerky way he moved and the sheer hunger in his eyes stepped forward and extended a hand. "Step forward."

When Bella obediently took a step toward them, Jacob felt his stomach lurched. If they were going to stand a chance, they had to get Bella to wake up. He looked from side to side, smirked the best he could when Sam's great black wolf, followed by Seth's sleek one burst into the field. Collin and Brady could be heard storming through the trees.

**_"Jacob. Report."_**

**_ "They've got her in their thrall. She's sleep walking or something. The blonde bitch, that's Jane. And the skinny brunette who looks like he's starving? That's the one doing it. We've got to get her out of here."_**

**_ "Leah, you're the fastest. Can you get to Bella before they do."_**

****Leah shifted uneasily, trying to gauge the difference in distance and her speed as compared to theirs. She growled low in her throat. **_"It's going to be damn close, but I'll sure as fuck try."_**

**_ "Seth, Embry. You two go for that fucker controlling her. Rip his damn head off." _**Jacob pawed the ground impatiently. **_"Everyone else, keep them off of Leah. Leah, get her to Emily's. Then get your ass back here. We're going to need every body if we're going to do this."_**

**_ "Okay guys, we have to do this quick and clean. Once Leah is out of here with Bella, go for Jane. She's the one with the pain thing. Even if it doesn't work on us, it'll work on the Cullens and they're on their way."_**

****Without so much as a warning, Leah dug in her paws and sprung, leaping a quarter the distance in one jump. As soon as her paws hit dirt, she was racing toward Bella, little more than a gray blur. As gently as was practical, she seized Bella in her jaws and whirled mid stride, barely avoiding the snapping jaws of the vampires that had begun running as soon as they realized what she had done. Casting a look toward the rest of her pack, she bent her head low and raced for the tree line, Bella screaming and struggling.

Seth, who was almost as fast as his sister, tackled the brunette vampire, Embry close on his heels. But the newborn was incredibly strong and threw them off. Seth crashed into a tree with a sickening crunch, while Embry twisted just right in the air and managed to land on his feet. Looking at each other, they began circling the vampire.

**_"Fucker's strong. Stronger than any other vamp I've seen."_**

**_ "Must be feeding on other vampires like Alice told us about. Shit, Jacob, this is not going to be fun."_**

**_ "I've figured that out. Damn cannibal vampires. And we thought they were gross before. Okay, everyone, on that mind control fucker. He needs to die. Now."_**

****And with that, all seven werewolves pounced on one newborn vampire. And even a newborn that had been feeding on other vampires was no match for seven full grown werewolves. Within seconds, he was little more than a pile of pieces. It was a relief to see that the Cullens had thought to make a fire when they had arrived, and Esme, who was undoubtedly the weakest, rushed over the collect the pieces of the vampire begin burning them. Emmett, who was a bear of a man, and arguably as strong as anyone there, was already taking on two newborns, and Alice and Rosalie had decided to tag team their vampire.

Halfway back to Emily's, Bella snapped out of it. Leah knew it had happened the moment she stopped struggling and started holding on. As soon as they crossed into the yard, Leah spat her out and phased. Bella stumbled for several steps, managed to right herself.

"What happened?"

"Stupid fucking vampires. One of them got you in their spell thing. You very nearly served yourself up on a platter."

Bella's mouth fell open and her eyes widened. "I thought they couldn't get to me."

"Well, that one could, obviously. Now get in there with Emily and the kids and stay safe. I have to get back before everyone gets killed. At least twenty of the fuckin' things."

As soon as Leah was back in wolf form, Bella ran into the house. Emily was fussing over four children, two of whom were screaming. Rushing into the room, she scooped up Mackenzie, soothing her immediately. Emily ran a hand through her hair, sighed in relief.

"Thank God you're all right. What's going on?"

"I don't have a clue. It was like I woke up in Leah's mouth." She ran to the door, looked out across the yard, could hear the battle raging. "It sounds rough out there." She dashed to the back bedroom, deposited Mackenzie in the playpen.

"Mama!"

Bella turned at the door, scampered back and kissed the baby on the top of the head, hugging her close for a moment. "Mama will be back soon. You be good for Aunt Emily." She pressed her cheek to the soft hair, fought back tear. "I love you, Mac."

Emily was waiting at the door with a set of clothes and running shoes. "You're an idiot. I hope you know that. But you can't be going back there in bare feet and pajamas. You'll kill yourself or freeze to death."

Casting a thankful look at the older woman, Bella quickly stripped and changed, not bothering to be modest. "Keep them safe, Emily. If you need to, take them to my Dad in Forks. Demetri has my scent. He can track me to here." She tied the shoes hastily. "I need a sharp knife."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to drive them crazy. Leah said there are twenty. Maybe more. The pack doesn't stand a chance."

"You'll get yourself killed."

"No, I won't." she opened a drawer, took out the knife Sam used to filet fish. It was razor sharp. She stopped to hug Emily tightly. "But if I do, I love all you guys. And Jake will need your help. But I have to do this. I have to help them. I can't let them all die because of me. Not at least without trying to help."

Bella took the flashlight Emily held out to her, smiled one last time before taking off toward Jacob's house as fast as she could run. Branches hit her face, scratching the skin. Her feet crunched leaves, and snow seeped into her shoes, chilling her toes. Her lungs started to burn, her breath was coming in heaving gulps. And finally, she saw the house. Slamming through the front door, she grabbed her purse and dumped the contents on the floor, grabbing her keys.

The truck started on the first try, and she kicked it into reverse, slamming her foot on the gas and nearly fishtailing on the slippery driveway. She finally got turned around, and slammed the gearshift down into drive, her foot never leaving the gas pedal. When she got to the path to the field, she just jerked the wheel, and went barreling down what looked to be a four wheeler path. By the time she got there, she had ripped off both of her exterior mirrors. She barely noticed them fly off.

Parking fifty yard from the battle, she leaped from the truck and gabbed the knife, pulling it from her sheath. Walking into the field, she grit her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut and sliced deep across the palm of her hand. Blood flowed freely down her arm, her stomach nodded and rolled, making her wonder if she would throw up.

And then, it worked. Some of the vampires, especially the newborns, looked up, their noses wrinkling as they smelled human blood. Esme turned when the scent hit her, and if it was possible, her face got even paler when she saw Bella. Jane glanced over from where she was locked in battle with Sam and smiled viciously.

"Forget the wolves! Get the girl!"

As soon as Jane spoke, the pack knew she was there. Jacob, his russet fur glistening with blood, turned to look, spitting out the head of a vampire as he did so. Even from a hundred feet away, she could read the shock in his eyes.

But the ploy was working. They struggled to get to her , crazed by their bloodlust. It was making them stupid, making them easier to kill because they were focused only on one thing. Blood. The pack became a secondary concern, they lost interest in fighting.

Seth leaped on a vampire that managed to get close to her, roaring as his powerful jaws closed on an arm, ripping it off with a terrible sound. The newborn, temporarily distracted, turned to shake Seth off, smacking at him with his remaining arm. But the wolves were unaffected by the smell of blood, they charged on, ripping off pieces of vampire. The Cullens, while the smell bothered them, were too focused on the battle to acknowledge that Bella was currently producing a large puddle of blood, even Jasper.

And then, out of nowhere, another vampire blurred through the clearing, throwing the newborn that had nearly made it to Bella aside, coming to a stop mere inches from her face. Bella gasped, her hand going to her mouth, the knife clattering to the ground. The topaz eyes, the handsome features, frozen forever at seventeen, the soft hair she'd run her fingers through countless times.

"Edward."

Do you hate me? 15 reviews and next chapter is going up, even if that means tomorrow or later today. Wanna know what happens? Oh boy do I have more in store for you….so push the button.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Oh my goodness, the response to the last chapter was incredible! You guys are so awesome. Now this chapter is going up a bit earlier than I'd planned since it hasn't yet been validated on Twilighted, which is typically where I publish my stories first. But this has been such a great response that I figured you deserved to go ahead and get it! I will not be updating tomorrow. Instead I'll be spending the day with my husband and daughter to celebrate New Years'.

A couple people have mentioned that they hate that this story is ending. I do too, but it was a natural place to wrap it up, and I think you'll all be satisfied. I still have the final chapter and the Epilogue to post, which ties everything up nicely, I promise. On a good note, I have fourteen chapters of a new story already completely written. It will be called Coming Home, and I'll begin posting when this is finished. Updates on that will be 1-2 times a week, depending on my beta on twilighted. If you liked this story, you'll love that one. It's a little darker, a little hotter, and has some surprises in it. There will be a bit more action, some psychological thriller aspects, plenty of romance, and a few tear jerker moments. I'm really looking forward to posting it to see what you all think.

I will also be selfpublishing my first original novel, titled The Chosen, in January on Amazon. I'll update this with an A/N when it goes up, and I hope that you'll all read it. If you are an experienced beta reader who has some interest in helping me edit, I need one for both my new story and for my original. It lets you read chapters as I write them instead of when they're posted, so PM me if you're interested or know someone who might be. But with that, enjoy the chapter, and hold tight for the epilogue.

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Edward grabbed Bella by the face. "You must go, now. Demetri has your scent. He is heading to Emily's house. He plans to kill them all. Go, get them to Forks. I'll hold him off as long as I can, hopefully until the pack is done with the newborns."

"Edward-I-you're." Bella stuttered, her knees weak from shock and blood loss. She hadn't ever thought she would see his face again, hadn't ever thought she would feel his cold hands on her, be able to look into his eyes or feel his dazzle.

"Oh, Isabella. There is so much to say. And we shall say it all when this is over. I know all that has happened. With you and your wolf. And you know about my mate. But now is not the time. Now, we must concentrate on the battle. So go now and help Emily."

Nodding, Bella turned and ran, racing back the way she came. She gathered several more dents on the drive back down the path, fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed Emily's number from memory, her hands shaking so badly she had to try three times before she managed to get it.

"It it over?"

"No, Emily, listen to me. I'm on my way there. Get the kids, come outside. Demetri has my scent, he's on his way there. We have to get you out of there. Get them now!"

Emily hung up without a word, and Bella prayed that she would be ready when the truck pulled in. She had to be ahead of the vampire. She just had to be. The alternative was too horrifying to think about. She pushed the truck as fast as it would go, tore through the yard at Emily's because she missed the driveway.

And bless her soul, Emily was as efficient as ever. Maggie and Alicia were bundled up, Mackenzie holding each of their hands. They all three even had scarves and gloves on. Emily was rushing out the door, Landon wrapped in a blanket in her arms, one arm through her coat. Bella leaped from the truck long enough to load the three girls in the back. Within thirty seconds, Emily was in the front seat, and Bella was slamming her door shut.

"I'm taking you to Charlie. Call Kim and Rachel, tell them to get out of there. Go somewhere in public. They could have Paul and Jared's scents too."

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"No, I need to get back. My blood was working, but Edward showed up, and he can read their thoughts. I was the only one they could spare."

Emily tore a section of Landon's blanket, wrapped it around Bella's hand gently. "Then you need to save some blood for when you get back there."

Bella smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

"Were they winning? Is everyone still okay?"

"Jane's dead, so was the one who could control even me. A few of the newborns. They're hurt, but I didn't see anything life threatening. The good thing is that they heal almost as soon as they're injured. There are still ten or twelve vampires left kicking. And I'm pretty sure Alice saw some more coming. The rest of the Volturi guard was hanging back to come in at the end and finish everyone off."

"They're out numbered."

"Yes. But they're holding their own." Bella pressed the gas pedal harder, swearing under her breath. "I need to get back there. Come on!"

Ten minutes later, Bella whipped the wheel and slammed the brake to stop in front of Charlie's. She honked the horn until her father came out, looking sleepy. When he saw Emily and the kids, he was instantly awake and concerned.

"What's going on?"

"The Volturi are here." Emily handed him Landon, opened the back door to get out the girls. "We have to get them inside. We have to get Rachel and Kim out. Sue and Billy, too."

"Get inside. Bella, come on."

"I can't. Dad, they have my scent. They'll follow me straight here. Make the calls, then get them somewhere I haven't been or somewhere public."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back. I can help them. I have to help them."

Charlie took his gun out of her holster, pushed it into her hand. "You know how to use this. If you need to, shoot them. Won't kill the damn things, but it might slow them down." He hugged her hard. "Come home alive, Bells. You and Jake."

Fighting tears, Bella nodded and hit the gas, sending clumps of dirt flying as she surged back onto the road. Her fingers bit into the wheel, she recklessly passed cars, her head getting light from a lack of blood. The makeshift bandage was stained red, and she had pressed the wound against her thigh in an effort to staunch the flow. She shot onto the road to the reservation, then jerked the wheel onto a back road to avoid traffic.

She was almost there when she saw Demetri run into the road, being chased by Edward. The vampires clashed midair, Rosalie not far behind. Bella hit the brakes and squealed to a stop, glancing at the gun in the seat next to her. Rosalie blurred to the window, and she rolled it down.

"Stay here. If you don't leave, he'll try to take us out here to get to you. The pack almost has it. The Volturi is down to half a dozen or so." Rose smiled brightly, then ran back to the fight, helping her brother rip off one of Demetri's arms.

Bella watched the limb fly. It needed to be burned. She could see one of Esme's fires fifty yards off the road. Biting her lip and only thinking about it for a moment, she dashed from the car and scooped up the marble limp, running through the woods as fast as she could. She threw it into the flames, didn't even take time to look at the field, and turned on her heel to race back.

Within a minute, she was back in the truck. Her flight had distracted Demetri for a moment, and Rosalie had attached herself to his back. With a roar the vampire ripped her off of him and pitched her over the cliff. She screamed as she flew and the sound she made as she hit the rocks on the way down was horrifying.

Edward turned for a split second, and his eyes met hers. "She's fine, Bella!" and then he was back to fighting.

The men clashed over and over, the sound of marble striking marble ringing through the night. Bella found herself crying, though she wasn't sure why. Edward was weakening, and she knew it was only a matter of time. Looking at her hand, which had finally stopped bleeding, she slipped from the car again, and walked toward the fighting vampires.

"You want me so bad, you son of a bitch?! You come and get me!" she held up her hand, digging her fingers into the wound, opening it up again, sending blood streaming down her arm. "You want my blood? Better come get it before there's none left!"

Demetri turned to face her, practically drooling at the smell of the blood pouring from her hand. Edward jumped on him, but he threw the younger vampire off easily, driven by blood lust. Bella saw Rosalie crawl over the edge of the cliff, a little worse for wear, but in one piece. She took several steps back toward the truck.

Looking at each other, the Cullens charged Demetri, Rosalie sweeping in for the leg, ripping violently. Edward punched him in the face to distract him, and Rosalie managed to tear out a large chunk of thigh before he shook them off. They were making progress. But not fast enough.

"Dammit, I cannot believe I am going to do this again." Bella muttered to herself as she slid behind the wheel, pulling her seatbelt tight. She gripped the wheel with both hands, and her eyes met Edward's. He nodded, knowing what she was going to do. "Damn vampires. I think they live to mess up my truck. First car I buy and what do I do? I use it to run over vampires."

She slammed it into gear, her tires squealing as she stomped her foot on the gas pedal. Rosalie grabbed Demetri's arm, keeping him from running, and Edward held onto one of his legs. He struggled, he fought, but they were determined. And then, a split second before impact, they let go, and he put out his arm, driving it into her hood.

The sound of crushing metal and breaking glass hurt her ears. The hood crumpled, the airbags deployed, she felt the seatbelt snap her collarbone. And then, she was airborne. The truck sailed over Demetri, and she thought she saw his arm attached to her grill when it fell off. Black swarmed her vision, and as the car hit the ground and rolled, she was tossed around the cab, striking her face on the steering wheel, her wrist on the roof, knee on the wheel. By the time the car came to a stop, upside down, she was bleeding from so many places she couldn't keep track of them all, and consciousness was slowly slipping away from her.

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"What the fuck happened, Cullen?"

Edward looked up from where he and Rosalie were finishing the job of ripping Demetri apart. "I think it's quite obvious what happened, pup."

Jacob roared as he stomped toward Edward, wearing nothing but a spare pair of shorts Sam had thought to strap onto his leg before phasing. "Where's Bella? What happened to her truck?" he lifted his head, sniffed and smelled all the blood. "Oh my God."

He ran toward the car, dropping to his knees on the passenger side. Bella was hanging upside down, covered in blood and cuts. He used his elbow to bust out the window, wiggled inside, not even noticing the bite of glass and metal as he reached out to feel for a pulse.

Nearly crying when he felt her heart beating beneath his fingers, he twisted to look out the front windshield. "Call an ambulance! She's still alive!"

Sam was there in an instant, laying down on the ground next to the driver's side. "We have to get her out of here. There's a gas leak, and a single spark could set it off."

Edward was suddenly there, reaching in to check her neck. When Jacob and Sam both growled and Embry charged forward, he whirled, his eyes flashing. "I'm a goddamn doctor! Did you forget that? I'm not going to hurt her."

"You let her do this! Then you think I would trust you!"

Quil cleared his throat, shifted uncomfortably. "Jake, man, this seems to be her preferred method of taking out vamps. Remember?"

Jacob glared at Quil, but couldn't dispute the logic. Growling, he nodded to Edward, stood to take stock of the rest of his back. "You lick off one drop of blood and I'll have you in that fire in a heartbeat."

Edward didn't respond, but he concentrated on checking Bella's neck and back, making sure her spine wasn't injured. She stirred when he cut the seatbelt and slid her out, managed to open her eyes a little. Her hand lifted to his face, and she smiled softly.

"My Jacob." She took a shallow breath, her lungs wheezing as she took in air. "I knew you'd come for me." She curled against the cold chest. "Jacob, the baby. You have to take care of the baby. I meant to tell you sooner…."

Edward felt his dead heart constrict at the words, and his gaze shot to Jacob, who didn't seem to have heard the muted whisper. When the younger man turned and saw Bella in Edward's arms, he rushed over.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know yet. I have to get her cleaned up. Send your fastest wolf to my house to get my medical bag. It's in my room, in the closet. It has everything I will need. I need somewhere safe and clean to take her."

Sam nodded. "My house is closest. But shouldn't she go to the hospital?"

"It may be necessary. Probably will be necessary. But it's better for me to take stock of her injuries and do field dressings before we do so."

"I'll take her."

Edward lifted his eyebrows and began walking in the direction of Sam's house. "No offense, but you're the one who let her get into this mess. I'm not about to trust you to carry the most precious cargo in the world. You'd probably drop her."

It took four wolves to hold Jacob back.


	22. Chapter 22

This is the final chapter. All that is left if the Epilogue. I'm waiting on twilighted for that, so it will likely be a few days. Please review. If I get enough, you may convince me to post it here first. Also, TeamSethLover, thank you for your review for the last chapter. It was heartfelt and beautiful and it made me feel great about writing this. I appreciate that a lot. You guys have all been great, and I've gotten some great reviews. I love hearing how people feel about what I write, and getting some feedback to make me a better author. I will be publishing my next fic, Coming Home, soon. I have 20 chapters ready to go, so it'll go up relatively quickly, again, depending on twilighted. They take a few days to upload chapters, and I like to keep it even, without getting ahead one place or the other.

Also, again, I am looking for a beta reader for Coming Home, and also for my original. If anyone is interested, please message me. I'd love to talk to you.

Thanks for going on this ride with me. It's been amazing, and I'm sad to see it end. But I think you'll like how I did it.

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The first thing Bella became aware of was pain. The second thing was the beeping of the machines that surrounded her hospital bed. And she had been in a hospital enough times in her life that she knew those sounds well. She struggled to get her eyes open, winced at the bright fluorescent lights, trying to reach up to shield her eyes from the offending light. What she found was that one arm was in a cast and the other had needles in it.

She blinked against the bright light, struggled to sit up, found she couldn't manage it on her own. Getting frustrated, she turned her head, found Jake sleeping sitting up, his head leaning on the edge of her bed. She managed to get her fingers stretched toward him, nudged his arm as hard as she could. Instantly, he came awake, jerking into a sitting position, blinking rapidly. When he saw her eyes open, he grabbed her face in his hands, kissed her.

"Thank God. You had me terrified, Bells. You lost so much blood, and then surgery, and all the stitches. I thought you'd done it this time. I thought I was going to lose you." He smiled into her face tearfully. "I'm going to have to make you stop being so damn brave."

"What-" she coughed, waved gratefully when he poured her a cup of water. "is wrong with me?"

"Broken collarbone, shattered wrist. That's what you had surgery for. Two hundred stitches, you actually did some ligament damage when you cut yourself to get the leeches attention. Broke your nose, again. Fractured orbital bone, and cracked kneecap."

"I'm not mobile for a few weeks then." She sighed, then her eyes widened and panic spread across her face. "Jake, the baby!"

Jacob laid his hand across her belly, caressed her through the hospital gown. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I hadn't known long. And I was still thinking it was maybe. I'd only skipped once, and was barely late on the second. I hadn't taken a test yet. But I could feel different, I could feel something. I didn't want to tell you until I was sure." Her gaze dipped down. "I didn't want you to be angry."

"Oh baby. I'm not angry with you." He bent to let her wrap her arms around him as best she could. "I could never be mad at you for that. Bells, we made a life together. That's something to celebrate. When the surgeon came out and told me mother and baby were doing fine I think my heart stopped. You must have gotten pregnant the first night."

"How far am I?"

"Eight weeks. Heartbeat is strong, everything looks good." He stroked her hair gently. "I wish I could hug you right now. Just the thought of watching my baby grow here-" he rubbed her belly again, "it overwhelms me."

"When can I come home?"

"Probably a few days. You've been unconscious for almost a week. We were starting to get worried."

"Is everyone okay? The newborns? Did you kill them all? Demetri, he didn't get to Emily and my Dad did he?"

"Everyone's fine. We had a few broken bones, some cuts and scrapes, but nothing life threatening. We were all okay within a day or two. You forget you're the one human hanging out with a pack of werewolves. You're much more delicate than we are." He sent a pointed glace toward his hand and her abdomen. "Especially now. What were you thinking, Bells? Don't you know how tenuous the first trimester is?"

Bella nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. "I just thought if it came to it, I can have another baby. There isn't another you." She smiled tearfully when he leaned over to kiss her again, brought the casted hand up to his face. "I love you, Jacob."

"I love you, too. And don't ever scare me like that again." He grinned, sat back down. "Do you want me to go get the doctor, see about getting you checked over? Maybe a shower?"

"A shower sounds incredible. But I don't want a nurse. You or Alice. Or Emily. Or any combination thereof."

"I think we can probably handle that." He kissed her forehead one more time, walked to the door. "Try not to be unconscious when I get back."

"I think I can do that." She suddenly looked panicked again. "Who knows? About the baby? You didn't tell everyone did you?"

"Charlie is the only other one who knows. And that's because we were both there when the doctor broke the news." He looked uncomfortable. "And I think Edward knows. I think when he got you out of the truck, you thought he was me and told him."

"I don't remember doing it. The last thing I remember is going airborne. After that, it's a blur until waking up here."

"Probably best you don't remember it. You were a wreck." He opened the door, stepped into the hall. "I'll be right back."

Within five minutes, a nurse was in Bella's room checking all her vitals, and Jacob was making many calls from the bedside phone to let everyone know that she was awake. He asked Alice and Emily to come immediately, but had everyone else hold off until the women could get Bella cleaned up and into something other than the hospital gown.

"Dr. Cullen will be in within the next hour to go over things with you, Miss Swan. I'm sure he has instructions for your caregivers on how to care for your injuries."

"You mean I can go home?"

"That'll be up to Dr. Cullen. But he did mention that none of your injuries required extensive hospital supervision once you were awake and walking on your own. We'll just have to see what he says when he gets here."

"Dr. Cullen? Would that be Edward or Carlisle?"

"Edward. Dr. Carlisle Cullen hasn't worked here in ten years. The younger Dr. Cullen has been working her off and on for a few years. He often does work for Doctors without Borders though, and just got back into the country last week after a two year sabbatical. We're very glad to have him back."

The look on Jacob's face told her that he wasn't happy Edward was the one taking care of her but that he hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. Bella smiled noncommittally, let her gaze drift to Jacob, the sheer love and possession in his gaze staggering. Without a word, he was, obviously enough for anyone with eyes to see, claiming her as his. That should have appalled her sense of independence, but instead, it made her feel warm all the way down to her toes.

Alice burst into the room in a flurry of bags and flowers. By the time Emily had arrived, the room was decorated with balloons and teddy bears and flowers. Bella had been watching Alice work with mild amusement, knowing better than to argue with the tiny powerhouse. But when Emily walked in, holding Mackenzie in her arms, Bella burst into tears.

Alice froze, looking horrified and completely out of place. Jacob gaped at her, immediately taking her hand and stroking her hair back from her face. But Emily shooed them both away, handing Mackenzie to her father. She grabbed a box of tissues and handed them to Bella, soothing and cooing gently.

"Pregnancy hormones, huh?"

Sobbing, Bella went willingly into Emily's arms, burying her head in the soft hair. "How did you know?"

"Mothers always know. And Jacob has been staring at your stomach for a week. Like it's going to jump out and grab him or something."

Sheepishly, Jacob shrugged. "I wasn't there for Mackenzie. The whole process amazes me."

"You won't say that when she's throwing up everything she's eating, or when she can't see her shoes, or when her feet triple in size." Emily laughed when Bella paled, hugged her tightly. "But the first kick, that's amazing. The first ultrasound. Those are the moments that make it all worth it." She finished dabbing the tears off of Bella's face, looked to Alice. "Okay, let's get her into the bathroom and get her cleaned up."

Excited again, Alice ran to retrieve one of the bags she's brought. "I brought you pajamas, and shampoo and a blowdryer and some makeup. We'll make you gorgeous for all your visitors." She looked to Jacob. "You need to go and keep Charlie from coming up. He just walked in the doors. Something about he'll be damned if a damn werewolf and tiny vampire are going to keep him from coming to visit his daughter any damn time he takes a notion to."

Jacob chuckled and left the room, shaking his head. As soon as he was gone, Alice flitted about the room, turning on the water, getting a towel, slipping out the IV so quick Bella barely felt the pinch of the needle sliding out of her vein. Sensing that Emily needed to be included, she came to stand beside the bed, wrinkling her forehead.

"I don't think I should try to carry you in there. It just seems like you might be a little too weak yet. Emily, why don't you get on the other side of her and we'll support her weight while we try to get her into the bathroom? I've got everything in there set up."

Emily nodded, and helped Bella slip one arm around her shoulders. When Bella tried to stand, her knees buckled, and the women on either side of her were left supporting all of her weight. Very slowly, they helped her into the bathroom, and Alice supported her while Emily removed the hospital gown. Bella turned her head toward the mirror, took one look at all of the bruises and promptly burst into tears again.

Two hours later, Bella was like a queen holding court. The entire pack, Billy, Sue, Charlie, Rachel, Kim, Emily, the Cullens and most of the kids had piled into the hospital. It was elbow to elbow with everyone trying to get to Bella to hug and kiss her. Edward had popped his head in a couple times to check on her, and finally, he had come bearing the most wonderful gift that anyone could have given her. Discharge papers.

"Okay, everyone needs to get out. I have to go over things with Billy and Jacob, and then we have to get her into a wheelchair and out to the car." Edward stood at the door, white coat buttoned up, stethoscope around his neck clipboard in his hand. "If everything goes as smoothly as I anticipate it will, she should be home within a couple hours."

Alice bounced on the balls of her feet, tugged on Jacob's sleeve anxiously. "I know it's not allowed, but Jasper and I have been there for months. Do you think it would be okay if we all came up to the reservation for a welcome home party for Bella?"

Jacob couldn't help but smile at the wistful hope on her face. He glanced to Sam, who inclined his head slightly. "We'd be thrilled to have you all come up." He grinned when Alice flew into his arms. "In fact, you're all welcome anytime you'd like. After this, and the help that you've all been, I see no reason to keep things the way they have been."

The smile Bella gave him for that told him that he had done the right thing. She held out a hand, and drew him next to the bed, resting her head against his side. "Just go on up to the house. I'm sure they'll get me home eventually." She chuckled, then yawned. "I might go to sleep on you, but Jake'll entertain everyone."

Edward waited patiently while everyone filed to the bed, depositing kisses and hugging Bella. By the time everyone was out of the room, save Charlie and Jacob, he was tapping the clipboard against his leg impatiently.

"Okay, basically, Isabella, you're just going to need time to heal." He took her hand, turned it over to inspect the stitches. "These will come out in another five to seven days, but until then, they're likely going to begin to itch. I'm sending home a cream that you can use to relieve any tightness and itching. Wash the stitches twice a day with soap and warm water, pat it dry, don't rub. The cast will be on for six weeks, and you'll need to be careful with the clavicle. The break was clean, and we've stabilized it, so you don't have to wear a sling. The orbital fracture is healing satisfactorily." He gripped her chin, turned her head to look at her face. "And your knee will be tender for several weeks. You'll need to keep it braced and supported. I'm sending home the proper brace for you to use. Keep as much weight off of it as possible and Charlie, either you or Jacob will need to gently stretch her leg every day to keep the muscles from atrophying."

Jacob absorbed everything Edward was saying, filing it away for the weeks ahead of taking care of her. By his calculations, before she was able to completely take care of herself, she would be sixteen weeks along in her pregnancy, and almost to the point where she was going to have to start slowing down as her body grew.

"Is there anything we need to do for the baby?"

"I'm prescribing an iron supplement and prenatal vitamins. We've done a couple ultrasounds and everything looks good. You're not far enough along that we can see much of the fetal development, but the heartbeat is strong, and there are no signs of distress. Overall, I'm very pleased with your condition given what you've been through." He smiled then, and lifted an eyebrow. "Hitting a bear with your truck is bound to do some damage. You got very lucky."

Charlie stood, took the paperwork from Edward. "I'll go take care of this, Bells. Jake, go get the car and bring it around so that she doesn't have to go outside. It's too cold for her out there."

Jacob nodded and stood, stopping to kiss Bella possessively before leaving the room, his glare toward Edward an obvious warning. Once Charlie and Jacob were gone, Edward dropped into the chair beside the bed. Bella looked around uncomfortably, not sure what, if anything, she should say. Finally, after an uncomfortable moment, Edward broke the silence.

"I missed you."

"You abandoned me. Without a word. I didn't know if you were alive or dead, or if I had done something. I woke up on my birthday to an empty house."

"We had no choice. It was for your own good."

Bella turned red from anger at that. "I am so goddamn sick of you thinking you know what's best for me! I was an adult, Edward. I should have gotten a choice! You had no right to take that away from me! I loved you with everything I had, and you left me, alone and confused, and didn't even have the decency to break up with me that time! You left me, Edward! You say you loved me, that I was the love of your life, but you didn't even have the respect to treat me like the adult I was! I was not your child! I was supposed to be your mate!"

Humiliated, Edward studied his hands. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I was afraid that you would die. And I didn't want to see that happen. So, yes, I took the choice out of your hands. I did it for you. And I'm not sorry. Because you're alive, and human, and that is what I wanted for you." He took her hand in both of his, brought it to his cold lips. "I loved you with everything I was. And that is why I decided to leave. Because everything I am, is not good for you. I would have taken away everything about you that makes me love you, and I could not bear the thought of that, Bella. I couldn't take seeing you become what I am. Seeing you become a monster in human skin. Everything that I love about you, is what makes you so undeniably human." He shook his head sadly. "Though why did you have to pick the wolf?"

Bella smiled, her hand travelling to her abdomen covering her child protectively. "Because he isn't afraid to let himself love me. Because he will never leave me. Because he is my sun. Because when I'm with him, I feel whole, and I'm not afraid to be myself. Because he's not perfect, and he doesn't want to be, and I don't feel like I have to be perfect around him. Together, he and I make each other better." She met his gaze, her eyes filled with hurt and anger. "I loved you Edward. I don't anymore. And I think part of the reason I love Jacob so very much is because he is everything that you aren't."

The hurt that passed over Edward's face staggered her, but once the words were said, there was nothing she could do to take them back, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Because they were true. Because Jacob was everything that Edward wasn't. And in the end, everything Edward wasn't, had ended up being everything that she needed.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." He stood, effectively ending the conversation. "I knew I would when I made my choice, and I'm sorry for it. But I don't regret doing it. Because it was for your benefit. And I loathe that you have chosen the wolf. You traded one monster for another, and I promise you, Bella, if I'd had any idea you would end up back here, carrying a half human child, I'd have made different choices. Because you're no better off with a werewolf than you would have been as a monster." He went to the door, turned once more. "I hope you understand if I don't come to your party this afternoon. Hearing their thought gloating about your choice is more than I care to put myself through. I'll be leaving in the morning. My mate is waiting for me in New Hampshire. I believe we're going to travel to Africa next, work at some refugee camps."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't believe so. My family and I are parting ways. They've made their choice. They're going to stay here for a while, with you. They wish to see your child born. They're happy about your choices. Though I can't comprehend why. Goodbye Bella. I'm sure you understand that this time it's for good."

Bella nodded, her eyes travelling over the planes of the face she knew so well. She felt her heart ache at his impending departure, but didn't feel the urge to beg him to stay. "I hope you're happy, Edward. I hope you stay that way."

Five minutes after Edward slipped from the room, Jacob slipped back in, pushing a wheelchair and accompanied by Charlie. He grinned at her as he drew it beside the bed. "Your chariot, my love." He put the brake on, pulled her blankets back. "Ready to get out of here?"

"I don't think I've ever been more ready for anything." She accepted her father's hand, leaned heavily on him as he helped her stand. When she was on her feet, she turned slightly, wrapping both arms around Charlie. Surprised, he stiffened momentarily, then hugged her as tightly as he dared, for fear of hurting her.

"I am so glad you're okay, Bells. I was worried about you, kiddo."

"I know. But you know I had to do it."

"I know. And I'm proud of you, for what you did." He eased her back, holding her by the shoulders to look at her. "You've turned into quite a woman, Isabella. A father couldn't be prouder of a child than I am of you." He kissed her forehead, helped her into the wheel chair. "And now I get a grandchild to spoil on top of everything." He patted her head, left her to Jacob while he picked up her small bag. "I think this may be one of the best days I can remember."

Bella let her finger lay over Jacob's as he pushed her down the hallway and into the elevator. As the doors slid closed, she caught one last glimpse of a perfect face and topaz eyes. And for a moment, she was sad. Until she looked up and Jacob, and thought of the child growing within her. And though the part of her that was still child longed for a past filled with perfect beauty and the danger that Edward had brought into her life, the woman in her was perfectly happy with the life she was making with Jacob. Her best friend. Her sun. The love of her life.


	23. Chapter 23

Frankly, I got sick of waiting for Twilighted to validate this. I've made you wait a week. Here is the Epilogue to The Way it Should Be. By the first of next week, I will be posting the first chapter of Coming Home, which I already have 23 chapters of written. That will keep updates nice and regular. It will also be available on Twilighted, though it's been in the queue there for two weeks already waiting.

Thank you all for coming on this ride with me. It's been a long road, and we've finally reached the end of it. I've gotten a lot of really fabulous reviews, and I'm proud that I can finally mark this one complete. I love living in the world on fanfic, and writing is my eternal love. I hope I'm good at it. I will be self publishing my first original work on Amazon sometime in March, so I hope you'll be looking for it.

I have loved every second of writing this. Please, please, please let me know what you think of it, and the ending. I thrive on reviews. And it may be lofty, but I'll make this deal. If I get 60 reviews for this chapter, I'll go ahead and post the first chapter of my new fic.

Lots of love,

Sirena

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Bella stood at the top of the cliff, looking down at the crashing waves her hair blowing in the wind behind her. Slowly, she toed off her shoes, shrugged out of her jacket, shivering at the cold November air. Behind her, the excited chatter of the group assembled had her looking over her shoulder with a smile.

Jacob walked up next to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Bella nodded. "With you? Always."

He chuckled as he looked over with her. "We're always the last to jump."

"At least I haven't already been over a dozen times this time." She smiled at her husband, stepping into his arms, sighing in contentment as they closed around her, surrounding her with his familiar warmth and scent. She tipped her head up, and his mouth closed over hers heatedly, the burn starting deep within her body as it always did.

Jacob slid his arms around her waist, lifted her up slightly, and his eyes locked onto hers, his mouth hot and intoxicating on hers, he took her over the edge.

The water closed over them, cold and breathtaking. But Bella wasn't scared. She let Jacob propel them toward the surface, wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, pressing herself against his much bigger body as he took them through the water. They broke the surface together, matching grins on their faces, and completely wrapped up in each other.

Slowly, he took them toward the shore, setting her down when the water was waist high. Emily met them at the edge with towels, which they both accepted gratefully. And as she rubbed her wet hair, Bella looked around the group.

The pack, their wives. Seth had brought his girlfriend, Mandy, who was still adjusting to the werewolf thing. Mackenzie, who was two, had her hands held by Maggie and Alicia. Various other children raced around the beach, bundled up against the cold. And among them, a part of the family, was the Cullens.

Alice, chatting animatedly with Leah, her eyes shining bright green in her tanned face. Rosalie was as gorgeous as ever, her hands resting on her hugely pregnant belly, Emmett's arm around her waist protectively. And Esme was standing with Sam, the precious bundle that was her three week old daughter in her arms.

Bella had found the legend that would allow vampires to become human. She had found it several days before the battle had taken place, but hadn't brought it up until afterward, fearful that it wouldn't work. After all, the solution was so simple. Shapeshifters, while they didn't have the ability to turn others into werewolves the way true werewolves did, still contained a certain amount of venom in their blood. Something about the shapeshifter blood counteracted the vampire venom that had turned humans into vampires.

Rosalie had been the one to test it. Jacob had volunteered. He'd phased, and allowed her to feed on him, which was something none of them had ever heard of happening. She had made faces at the taste of the blood, and was barely able to ingest the amount required, so repulsive was the taste to her. And within several hours, she had been unconscious, her body burning with a high fever, sweat pouring from her. And in something that looked much like the transformation from human into vampire, Jacob's blood had done it's job and slowly, her flesh softened, and Carlisle was able to transfuse enough blood into her body so that her heart began beating again. As soon as they knew that it was working, everyone else had gone through the process.

Esme hadn't wasted time trying to start a family. That was the one thing she had longed for most. Children of her own. Carlisle had told her the odds of procreation were slim, but she had begged him to try. And somehow, she'd become pregnant very quickly. It seemed that when the shapeshifter blood reversed the process, it returned the body to the state it had been in before it had been turned. It was as if vampirism had merely preserved the body, rather than killed it.

There had been a bit of a scare when she'd gone into labor eight weeks early, but she'd given birth to a healthy, if small, baby girl, which she'd named Kennedy Isabella. From what Bella had overheard, Rosalie was pretty sure she was going to have a boy, and had decided that Jacob was going to gain a namesake. In honor of his having given her her life back. It seemed oddly appropriate. And while he was uncomfortable with the idea, he wouldn't dream of telling her that she couldn't name her child after him.

And as for Bella and Jacob, they had married soon after she'd been released from the hospital. It had happened in April, only a week after she'd gotten the cast off her wrist. She'd worn a simple white dress, he'd worn khakis and a white button down, and they'd done it in a quiet ceremony on First Beach, with the pack, the Cullens, and their families the only ones present. Then in August, they'd welcomed their son, Reece William Black, after Billy. They'd agreed their next child would be either Charles or Charlotte for Charlie.

"Mommy, Mommy!"

Bella was snapped out of her thoughts by Mackenzie barreling through the sand at her. She stooped, scooped up the toddler and cuddled her close. "What's up, baby?"

"Daddy said we can go get ice cream." She batted her eyes at Jacob, who was trying not to laugh. "Didn't you, Daddy?"

Jacob shook his head. "Can't say I remember anything about ice cream." His eyes twinkled as her little face fell. "But I don't think it would hurt. Just let Mommy and Daddy get changed and dried off first."

Mackenzie leaped from Bella's arms into Jacob's, peppering his face with kisses, and nuzzling her face into his neck, perfectly content in her father's arms, even if he was soaking wet. He gently sat her on the ground, watched her scamper back up to the beach to her Uncle Sam and smiled.

"She is going to keep us on our feet."

Bella lifted one eyebrow as they reached the truck and she grabbed her clothes out of the back seat. "You mean to tell me she doesn't already?"

"Well she's your daughter."

And she was. As soon as they were married, Jacob and Bella had filed for her to legally adopt Mackenzie. Mackenzie already looked at Bella as her mother, wouldn't ever remember anyone filling the role but her. The process had been very quick because Megan was dead, and within only a few months, Bella had been declared Mackenzie's mother, in the eyes of the law at least. For everyone else, she'd been Bella's since the first utterance of Mama.

"Bella?"

Bella turned to see Leah standing by the truck, shifting from one foot to the other and looking uncomfortable. She kept glancing at Embry, who nodded and looked pointedly at Bella. Bella put her clothes down, turned to give Leah her full attention. "Yeah?"

"So I'm not good at this, so I'm just going to say it. I'm sorry I've been a bitch. At first, it really was because of what you did to Jacob, and well, he was my Alpha, and he was my friend, and I thought you'd do it again. But what you did, risking your life for us? That was pretty cool. And defending me when I threw you off the cliff? Also pretty cool. And I know Quil would be dead without you. So I'm sorry. For everything I said, and most of the things I thought. I think, now at least, that you're pretty good for Jake, and that it's good that you're here. And anyone with eyes can see Mac's your whole world, and even I can't say you're a bad mother, which, it's me, and if I could, I totally would, because, hey, that's just how I am. And I don't know if we'll ever be friends, but I'd like to not be enemies, if only because I hate fighting with Embry, and with us just finding out I'm pregnant, I'm gonna need him to be in a helpful mood." She shrugged almost apologetically. "Doesn't mean I don't mean this, just that without a little incentive it would've taken me longer to say it. So, while we're here, and it just seems right, being the anniversary of the day we all went, and with everything's that happened-" she extended her hands, sighed in relief when Bella took them, "I guess what I'm after is, jump with me? For real this time."

Bella squeezed Leah's hands, nodded, tears swimming in her eyes. "Let's go."

Embry let out a wolf whistle as they walked toward the path to the cliff. "I'm next!"

Bella looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Oh why the hell not? It's fitting." She was still laughing when Seth charged up the hill and scooped her up, running with her to the top of the cliff. Within minutes, she was joined by the rest of the pack. "Just tell Emily to get more blankets. I'm gonna be at this for a while." She extended a hand for Leah, who grabbed it firmly. They looked at each other, and with a silent agreement, ran full speed and launched themselves off the edge, screaming the whole way down. And this time, Leah didn't let go. Nor did any other member of the pack.

Jacob felt Bella stir in bed next to him and rolled over, locking his arms around her to keep her from getting out of the bed. "He'll cry if he needs something."

Bella laughed, relaxing into his arms. "He's always up every three hours. He must be hungry, Jake. I need to go feed him."

He tightened his grip on her, bringing her head onto his chest, running his fingers through her hair. "I know you're new at this, but it's my second time round this track. They do eventually sleep through the night like a normal person. He's three months old now. It's about time Reece started letting Mommy get a little more sleep."

Bella still struggled to sit up. "Jake, I don't mind, really. And I'm up, so I'd might as well feed him."

In three months, Bella had barely let Jacob do any of the nighttime feedings. She was always on her feet the instant he started crying, rushing toward the nursery to breastfeed, and change him and rock him back to sleep, humming and soothing him until he went limp in her arms gazing into his face with so much love it threatened to bring him to tears every time he saw it. Bella had been made to be a mother. She was content with her babies, staying home with them, working while they napped, or while Jake took them after work. She never complained about dirty diapers or potty training, or when the baby wouldn't stop crying. She just did what needed to be done. And he knew that she would never settle in and go to sleep until she knew that their son had not, in fact starved to death in the three hours since she'd last fed him.

"Okay, come on." He got out of bed, held out a hand for her. "Let's go check on him. But, if he's asleep, you cannot wake him up. It's good for them to sleep longer at night. That's what all parents dream of."

Bella nodded, scrambling from bed and pulling on her robe over her nightshirt. "Okay, but if he's awake then I get to go through the routine."

"And if he's not, which he won't be, we come back to bed, and since we're up, I'm going to make use of the time I have alone with my wife, with both children sound asleep."

Bella felt the familiar heat pool somewhere near the center of her body, and lust immediately darkened her eyes. That was the one thing that had bothered her the most about giving birth. Eight weeks without being able to touch him. "Deal."

Together, they crept down the hallway to the nursery, and Jacob slowly pushed the door open. What they found had them both smiling. Mackenzie had taken her Disney princess sleeping bag, her pillow, and several stuffed animals, and made herself a bed next to her brother's crib. She was sounds asleep, coloring book and crayons all over the floor. One look in the crib assured them that their son, so perfect with his father's hair and his mother's eyes, with his dusky skin and perfect little hands, and the softest skin Bella had ever encountered, was, indeed, sound asleep. Jacob reached into the crib, adjusted his hat to keep his head warm, let his hand rest on Reece's chest, feeling it rise and fall with each breath, and for an instant, wondered how he'd gotten so lucky. The woman of his dreams, two beautiful children. It was more than any one person deserved to have.

Checking to make sure neither child was cold, he turned to smile at Bella, hunger evident in his eyes. She bit her lip and cast one longing glance toward the crib, then turned and dashed down the hall to their room. He caught her by the bedroom door, lifting her into his arms and tumbling with her onto the mattress, his mouth hungry and hot on hers.

They rolled over the mattress, tugging at clothes, hands wandering over each other, their mouths fused together. Neither was in a mood for foreplay. They both wanted one thing, and that was to be joined. His boxers came off easily, and he lifted her nightshirt, finding her bare beneath it. With one powerful thrust, he entered her fully, both of them stopping at his invasion of her body. She moved against him impatiently, her nails scratching the skin of his back. He grinned wickedly and grabbed her nightgown, literally ripping it off of her to expose the rest of her body. Slowly, he began moving, making her groan with every thrust, kissing her neck, nipping at her throat, cupping one of her breasts in his hand, rubbing her nipple between two fingers. Her hips arched against him, rolling and driving him crazy.

With a groan, he rolled them so that she was on top of him. Bella splayed her hands on his chest, her body rising and falling as she rode him. He placed his hands at her hips, gripping them, his hips still driving his shaft deep within her. She leaned over to kiss him, and he felt her body tighten and spasm with release. He absorbed her cry into his mouth, pumping into her hard and fast, drawing out her orgasm until he was careening into his own, spilling himself inside her crushing her body to his, roaring into her mouth.

She was nearly asleep on his chest, drawing circles on his skin with her fingertips when they heard the door open downstairs. But before he could do more than sit up, Alice had pushed open the door and turned on the light, her face lit up with something. Jacob swore, dragging the blanket over them.

"I swear, if I'd known you would get to keep that fucking speed I'd have never turned you back."

Alice grinned, knowing he was only half mad at her. "I've seen her naked, and you have all the same parts as any other man, so there's no a thing to be embarrassed about. And I like the speed, and the strength. It's like the best of both worlds. I'm a little slower, a little weaker, and completely human. And speaking of which, I'm here because I just had a vision and I couldn't wait to share."

Bella sat up, worried. "The Volturi?"

"No, no, nothing bad. Actually, it's incredibly exciting. I've just seen our future Bella. Yours and mine. I saw the two of us, shopping for baby clothes."

"Yeah, Rose's shower is in a week. We're going to be shopping for baby things."

"No, silly. We're going to be pregnant together! And I sense soon! Of course I can't tell for sure anymore, but Jasper and I would like to be parents, so it doesn't concern me, but it was Spring when we were shopping, and I could just see you, of course, but you were pretty big, so if I had to guess, Jacob, you just got her pregnant. It'll be a girl of course, and you'll name her Charlotte Elizabeth. I believe I'll have a boy, and he'll be Damon Michael, yes, I believe that's right."

Bella gaped at Alice, looked down at her stomach. "But I'm still breastfeeding! And we just got to start having sex again, and I'm still carrying fifteen pounds of baby weight. I wanted to wait at least another year."

Jacob smiled, kissed the side of her head. "You're gorgeous. And just because you're pregnant doesn't mean we can't have sex. That's what put you in labor the last time, remember?"

Bella blushed at the memory, and Alice laughed, delighted with herself. She blurred over to the bed, hugged them both tightly. "All right, I'm going to go now. Jasper and I have to work on things if I'm going to get knocked up too. And Reece will wake up in twenty minutes."

Pouting, Bella collapsed against her pile of pillows. "Jake! We didn't want one so soon!"

JBE Jacob leaned down, kissed her belly. "I know. But if we get one, we get one. And we'll love it just like we do the other two." He looked up at her, "Besides, I want one more after this one."

"If you want another one, Jacob Black, you can damn well get pregnant yourself." She flounced from bed and down the hall to await Reece's wakeup. Halfway down the hall, she smiled. Four did sound like a good number.

Ultimately, Alice would be right. And instead of four, it was five, as Bella gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, two years after Charlotte was born. But neither Jacob nor Bella complained. They were a family, and if they were a little larger of a family than planned, that was fine with them. Because, in the end, they were together, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
